Chicken Souvlaki, Lemon Rice, & Tzatziki Sauce

Scott and I have been obsessed with greek food lately. I love Gyros, Pork Souvlaki, Chicken Souvlaki, Pita Bread, Lemon Rice, Greek Salad, and pretty much everything else on the menu.

Here is a compilation of Greek recipes that will surely make a delightful dinner for you and your family. I admit that the lemon rice needs some tweaking (less mint, more lemon), and alone is not divine, but if you take a bite of everything together on a warm piece of pita bread(we used Naan, b/c I couldn't find good pita bread at the store), the lemon rice serves it's purpose completely, and complements all of the other flavors perfectly.

Chicken Souvlaki

Servings: 2

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced or chunked, as you like
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 sprigs of fresh thyme or about 1/2 tsp dried
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 zucchini, chunked (optional, but delicious)
bamboo skewers, soaked

Stir together lemon juice through olive oil in a bag or flat dish. Add chicken and coat well. (If using a bag, press all of the air out and seal tightly.) Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 30 minutes — but it will be better if you wait a few hours.

If you’re grilling outside, make sure the skewers have been soaked for 30 minutes
so they don’t catch fire. If you’re using a grill pan or indoor grill, this step can be safely skipped. (We grilled inside and then finished them off on the grill outside) Skewer the chicken and zucchini. Grill for 3 – 5 minutes until done.

Greek Lemon Rice
Servings: 2

3/4 cup uncooked basmati or jasmine rice
1 cup chicken broth (2 cups stock if using brown rice)
1/2 cup water (2/3 cups water if using brown rice)
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts, chopped (I did not add this, but I am sure it would be delicious)
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)

Combine rice, broth and water in a rice cooker and turn it to Cook. While it cooks, saute
onion over medium heat in about a tablespoon of oil until soft, about 5
minutes. Stir in nuts and, stirring constantly, cook until golden brown. In a
small dish, stir together spices and lemon juice. When the rice cooker is done,
add the onion/nut mixture and lemon juice mixture, stirring and fluffing the
cooked rice to combine. Close the cover and keep the cooker on the Keep Warm
setting for about 5 – 10 minutes. Serve, topping with crumbled feta if desired.

Tzatziki Sauce (you could easily half this recipe and still have enough sauce)

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper (I used regular black pepper)
1 cup greek yogurt, strained
1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Using a whisk, blend the yogurt with the sour cream. Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well. Finally, add the cucumber and chopped fresh dill. Chill for at least two hours before serving. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill just before serving.