One of my favorite spring/summer foods is Greek/Mediterranean food. My favorite thing to make is pita pockets with chicken and tzatziki (tuh-zee-kee) sauce. Tzatziki is perfect as a salad dressing, veggie dip, or spread on sandwiches. You could also dice the pita entirely and have a delicious Greek chicken salad with all the fixings.
Tzatziki:
Ingredients:
- 2 medium cucumbers
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and/or dill
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Steps:
- Peel and slice the cucumber lengthwise. Then remove the seeds with a spoon.
- Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater.
- Working with one handful at a time, lightly squeeze the shredded cucumber to remove the excess moisture. Then, place into a medium bowl.
- To the bowl, add in the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, herbs and salt. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, taste the sauce and add additional salt, herbs, and/or lemon zest if desired.
- Place into the fridge to chill until serving.
Mediterranean Chicken:
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon dill
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 package of pita bread
- Lettuce, tomato slices, and cucumber slices
- Thinly sliced onion to liking
Steps:
- On a clean cutting board, cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. This will help them cook more evenly.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, and dill.
- Into a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping the chicken once to ensure even cooking and browning.
- Slice the cooked chicken into strips and set aside.
- Heat pitas under a broiler or in a toaster oven according to packaging.
- Slice open the pittas, then stuff with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, Tzatziki sauce, and any other toppings you’d like, including thinly sliced onion.
- Enjoy!
