Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I love chicken salad. It's so easy to make and the flavor combinations are endless. Last summer I made chicken salad at least once a week but this summer it just wasn't on my radar. Then I saw Josie post these Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches and I was kicking myself for not making chicken salad more often.

Since SP isn't a fan of most Greek flavors this was all mine to enjoy. And enjoy it I did. Immensely. You can't go wrong in my book when you combine all those ingredients together and stuff them in a pita. I poached two chicken breasts, one for me for this recipe and one for SP (just mixed with salt, pepper and mayo), and when I added all the ingredients to my chopped chicken breast I had enough for 4 sandwiches (a pita cut in half and stuffed full of chicken salad). Keep that in mind when making this.

I absolutely loved the flavors in this chicken salad and can't wait to make it again.

Greek Chicken Salad
From Annie's Eats, as seen on Pink Parsley

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (that has been peeled and seeded)
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives (optional)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 cups tzatziki sauce (see below)
Kosher salt and black pepper
Pita, for serving

Combine all the ingredients through tzatziki and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve with pita bread.

Because so many of the components have a lot of water, if you are eating this as leftovers, just pour off whatever liquid has accumulated at the top of the salad.

Tzatziki
Modified from I Was Born to Cook

1 cup plain greek nonfat yogurt
1 cup chopped cucumber (peel and seeds removed)
1/4 cup chopped dill leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small garlic clove, chopped
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Taste as you go along and adjust ingredients accordingly. Chill before serving.

Recipe Swap - Chicken Souvlaki

The theme for this swap is Too Hot to Cook, which seemed like a great idea when I scheduled it. We've had record temps all summer, highs mostly in the 90s, and while I haven't shied away from using my oven, it's certainly nicer to cook outside on the grill when the temps are that high. But I didn't take into account the weather we've been having lately, mainly the severe thunderstorms. The weather conspired against me.


I was all set to make Melissa's Chicken Souvlaki earlier in the week, but every. single. night we had rain or the threat of rain. This meal kept getting pushed back and pushed back again until finally it was scheduled for Sunday, the night before the post was due. As the organizer of these swaps it pains me to wait until the last minute, especially when I encourage the participants to get the recipe made early. Oops.


It was worth the wait. I love Greek flavors and any excuse to make tzatziki. The flavors in the chicken were outstanding and the char from the grill really made the dish. I usually make tzatziki using this recipe, but wanted to stay true to Melissa's recipe so I used hers. I can't decide which version I like better. I also loved the simplicity. I marinated the chicken all day and the lemon juice made it super tender. Since the only toppings are more dill and some sliced red onion, getting these on the table took less than 20 minutes.

Oh and if you're considering taking a short cut like I did and skipping the butter on the pita, DON'T! I buttered two pitas and used cooking spray on the other two. The buttered pitas were FAR superior. Make these soon. Seriously!

Chicken Souvlaki
As seen on I Was Born to Cook

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Tzatziki
Pita bread
Butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped red onion
Chopped fresh dill

In a bowl or plastic bag, add oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces to mixture and toss. Marinate for 3-8 hours.

Turn on or light the grill. Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill over high heat, turning once until done, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Spread both sides of pita with butter and grill until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Place pita on plate and top with chicken, followed by tzatziki, onion and dill.

Tzatziki
Modified from I Was Born to Cook

1 cup plain greek nonfat yogurt
1 cup chopped cucumber (peel and seeds removed)
1/4 cup chopped dill leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small garlic clove, chopped
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Taste as you go along and adjust ingredients accordingly. Chill before serving.

Greek Pita Pizzas

SP was out of town for work last week, so I took the opportunity to make some things for dinner that I know he wouldn't enjoy. I don't know why, but he isn't a big fan of Greek food. He'll tolerate it every once in awhile, but I knew these Greek Pita Pizzas wouldn't go over well if I made them for him. I, on the other hand, loved them. They combined a few of my favorite things - hummus, tzatziki, olives, feta, tomatoes and tangy Greek-style dressing - into an easy, healthy dinner.

I actually made these a few times while he was away but the first time (the one I photographed) I opted to leave off the mozzarella cheese simply because I didn't feel like opening the package. It was still delicious. Later in the week I ate it for lunch and also served this with one of my new favorite dishes, Mediterranean Couscous for dinner. I couldn't get enough of the flavors and was happy to use up the pocketless pita making these over and over again. Simple, tasty and healthy to boot.

Greek Pita Pizzas
As Seen on Pink Parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (8-inch) pita breads
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Tzatziki sauce, for serving

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over both sides of pitas. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Toss with the olives, onions, and tomatoes.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita, leaving a small border. Divide the vegetable mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle with the feta. Top each pita with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella.

Cook until the vegetables are softened and the cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve.

Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki

A friend of mine recently recommended this Weight Watchers recipe for Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki. I've renamed it because I left out the jalapeno (which makes it spicy) and used chicken instead of turkey.


I also subbed parsley for the cilantro because I've found that when I buy cilantro most of it goes to waste because I can't use it in other recipes the way I can with parsley. Use whichever herb you prefer. I ground my own chicken (directions below) since I usually have frozen chicken in the freezer and it takes almost no effort to make my own ground chicken at home. I also swapped the tzatziki recipe for the one I use for the Chicken Gyros.


Since the burgers are rather wet and sticky once they're formed, I wrapped each individually in wax paper and froze them for a few hours so they'd be easier to handle. You don't want them frozen solid, so make sure to only freeze them for 3 hours max and take them out at least an hour before you're going to cook them so they have a chance to thaw slightly.

I served the burgers in pocketless pita with sliced cucumber, tomato and red onion. Delicious!

Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki
Modified from Weight Watchers

1 pound ground turkey breast or ground chicken*
1 zucchini, coarsely shredded on the large holes of a box grater
2 tablespoons onion, finely grated
2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cucumber
12 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Squirt of fresh lemon juice
Pita, for serving
Sliced tomato, for serving
Sliced cucumber, for serving
Sliced red onion, for serving

Combine the turkey, zucchini, onion, cilantro/parsley, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl until well mixed. Shape into 4 patties. Wrap each patty individually in waxed paper and put in the freezer for up to 3 hours. Allow to thaw slightly before cooking.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet (or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until golden and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning the burgers halfway through and adding the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan after turning them.

To make the tzatziki sauce, peel and seed the cucumber. Shred the cucumber and then squeeze in a towel to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight, if possible, or at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Serve the chicken burgers in pita with sliced tomato, cucumber and red onion, with a dollop of tzatziki.

* To make your own ground chicken, chop partially frozen chicken breasts into small pieces and put in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped.

Mediterranean Couscous

Have you ever decided you didn't like something and later realized it was because you had prepared it incorrectly?

Yup, that was me recently.

I've seen Israeli couscous prepared by TV chefs many times and I always think it looks great. What's not to like about little balls of pasta? But the one time I tried cooking it, it was a mess. I decided I just wasn't a fan and figured that was OK since there are plenty of other pasta shapes out there. Then I saw Melissa's Mediterranean Couscous and decided I had to try again. As luck would have it, we had exactly 1 1/3 cups of the little balls left in the big container in the pantry. The fates were aligning.


As I was getting ready to cook the couscous I read the directions on the back of the container. And that's when I realized my earlier mistake. Unlike rice and regular couscous, Israeli couscous should be stirred every so often as it cooks. Duh. The last time I made it I just left it alone for the full 8 minutes it took to cook and when I went back to the pot it was a gloopy, sticky mess. No wonder I didn't like it. This time I ended up with individual pearls of pasta, just the way it was meant to be.

::smacks forehead::


While I'm thankful I realized my mistake, I'm also annoyed at myself for figuring it out after we exhausted the entire container of couscous. Now I need to go out and get more so I can make this recipe again. Because I will be making it again, and soon. I'm pretty sure I could eat a bowl of this every. single. day for the next month and not grow tired of it. I love, love, love anything Greek-inspired so this was automatically right up my alley. SP, on the other hand, isn't a big fan yet he still proclaimed this couscous good, which for him is a big deal.

I cut up and mixed together everything but the couscous in the morning and let it hang out in the fridge all day so the flavors could marry, and so I didn't have to get everything chopped in the evening when I had Baby Girl underfoot. That way I was able to cook the couscous while the pork was cooking and serve it warm. Delicious. Just so, so good. I think I had about 5 servings last night. Baby Girl tried the couscous the next night and cleaned her plate. A winner all around.

I don't have enough words to say how good this was so just make it and find out for yourself. A big thank you to Melissa for this wonderful recipe!

Mediterranean Couscous
I Was Born to Cook

1 box Israeli couscous (1 1/3 cup), cooked according to package instructions
Feta cheese (plain or Mediterranean flavored), crumbled
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Splash extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine everything but the couscous in a bowl and mix. Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste. Refrigerate until ready to cook couscous.

Cook couscous and toss with the other ingredients in the bowl. Serve immediately warm.

Greek Pork Tenderloin

I've recently discovered the beauty of pork tenderloins. While my favorite recipe is, hands down, Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin , I'm always on the lookout for new ways to prepare it. My supermarket sells pork tenderloin in a club pack with four tenderloins, which is a great deal and means I've always got a few tenderloins in the freezer.


Melissa posted this Greek Pork Tenderloin awhile back and I knew I had to make it ASAP. I was especially intrigued by the Mediterranean Couscous she served with it. Look for that post on Monday. One word - delicious. Check out this sneak peak in the photo below:


I marinated the pork all day and I think it would be even better overnight. The flavors really got into the meat and made it juicy and flavorful. I slightly overcooked the pork so definitely keep to the 3 minutes per side for the searing and 15 minutes in the oven.

This recipe has a permanent spot in my pork tenderloin rotation. Thanks for a fantastic meal, Melissa!

Greek Pork Tenderloin
I Was Born to Cook

1 (approximately 1 pound) pork tenderloin
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients with pork in a large ziploc bag. Move around gently, then marinate at least 8 hours or as long as overnight, turning a few times.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a little oil, then place pork inside and pan sear for 3 minutes on each side. Put skillet in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the pan to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Soutzoukakia

I did an inventory the other weekend and discovered that I have a lot of ground beef in my freezer. I'm always looking for new ground beef recipes, so I figured this was a great time to branch out. My friend Elly had linked to these Soutzoukakia in a recent post, and they sounded so simple and delicious I put them on the menu.


These were a big hit with the whole family. Baby Girl usually eats a day behind us (although we're trying to change that, depending on when SP gets home from work), but she asked for a taste of mine and ended up inhaling two meatballs from my plate. I saved two meatballs for her for next night's dinner and again she inhaled them and asked for more. This is a big deal because she's been off meatballs for awhile now. I really enjoyed the flavors in the meatballs and loved the tomato sauce over the mashed potatoes. Delicious and easy. Thanks for helping me branch out, Elly!

Soutzoukakia
Elly Says Opa!

1 medium onion, divided
1 lb. ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, pressed
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 tablespoons bread crumbs (optional)
Olive oil
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can water
2 bay leaves
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cumin (start with 1/2 and taste-test)
1 pinch sugar
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Finely mince or grate half of the onion into a large bowl. Mix in the beef, salt and pepper, oregano, garlic, parsley, egg, and breadcrumbs (if using). Form the mixture into elongated/oval-shaped meatballs. (I got 14 meatballs).

Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a medium Dutch oven or pot over medium-high. Pan-fry the meatballs, in batches, until they are browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the pot and drain the oil.

Put the pot back over the heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Dice the other half of the onion, and add it to the pot; cook until translucent. Add the tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, cumin, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a low boil and add the meatballs. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, but longer is fine too. Add the corn starch slurry at the end. Remove the bay leaves and serve over mashed potatoes.

Greek Taco Salad with Crispy Pita Wedges

A woman on my cooking board recently posted a recipe for Greek Tacos that sounded delicious. We are trying to eat healthier these days so I decided to make the recipe into a taco salad instead of using the crispy shells.


I really enjoyed the salad and used the crispy pita wedges as dippers for the tzatziki but SP wasn't a fan. I think he would have preferred these in the crispy taco shells. I actually put some of the leftover meat mixture, tzatziki, feta, and romaine into a pita for lunch the next day and it was fantastic, so that's another alternative to the traditional taco shells.

Greek Taco Salad with Crispy Pita Wedges
Inspired by A Seasoned Greeting

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning (see note below)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bag baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 hearts of romaine, torn into bite-size pieces

Crispy Pita Wedges
2 pitas, cut into 4 wedges
Olive oil for brushing
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Tzatziki
12 ozs. plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumbers, seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and a little pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, Greek seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add spinach and olives; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Crispy Pita Wedges: Place pita pieces on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, oregano and thyme. Bake at 300° for 3-5 minutes or until heated through and crispy.

Tzatziki: Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred on the large holes of a box grater and then squeeze in a towel to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight, if possible, or at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

To serve, fill shallow bowls with romaine. Top with beef mixture, feta, red onion and cucumber. Dollop tzatziki on top and arrange crispy pita wedges around the perimeter.

Note: For a substitute for 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning use 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried marjoram, garlic powder, lemon-pepper seasoning, ground mustard and salt.