Chicken/Turkey-Patty Pockets

1 pound ground dark-meat chicken (I used ground turkey)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 1 large clove fresh garlic)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil

Pita pockets, for serving
Lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, for serving
Minted yogurt sauce (optional, below), for serving

FOR THE MINTED YOGURT SAUCE

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (I substituted cilantro for mint because I did not have any, it was great too!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper


Directions

1.Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and spices and mix until well blended. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Divide chicken mixture into 8 portions (about 2 1/2 to 3 ounces each) and place on sheet. Shape each into an oval patty and use your hand to flatten slightly. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over patties.

2.Broil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Serve in pita pockets, with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and minted yogurt sauce if desired.

3.Make the minted yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, fresh mint leaves, and fresh lime juice. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 hour, to allow flavors to come together.

From Everyday Food, April 2010

Thursday night madness

Thursday night is always a crazy night to get dinner on the table. My daughter has ballet that runs right over the dinner hour. Needless to say, if I am not organized prior to leaving for ballet, it is a take out night...

All week I have been craving Greek food, so here is what we had. I prepared all of this ahead of time so it was ready to put together upon our return.

Greek 'salsa'



1 red pepper - chopped
1/2 long English cucumber - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
Olive Oil (I just dumped, but if I am guessing...) 3 TBSP
1 TBSP Greek Seasoning (I buy the big container of it at Costco)
Feta Cheese - crumbled - as much as desired

Mix all ingredients together and cover with saran and let marinade in the fridge. Serve either in a pita with hummus and chicken or alongside your souvlaki.

Souvlaki





Bamboo Skewers (about 8)
Store Bought tzatziki

3 Chicken Breasts (You can use steak, lamb or shrimp too)- cut into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes
Sea Salt (enough to lightly season chicken)
After cutting the chicken, season with the salt and let rest while you mix up the marinade.

About 4 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 TBSP Greek Seasoning
Mix these three ingredients together in a bowl. Add salted chicken cubes and coat. Put 6 cubes onto each skewer. Place in a container or on a plate (with saran) and let them rest in the fridge until ready to cook. This will allow the flavors to really get into the chicken

Cooking them on the BBQ gives them a nice char-broiled taste. But you can cook them in the oven by broiling them. Simply place them on a broiling pan and broil at 450 degrees for about 10-15 mins (or until cooked through). I would suggest rotating them half way through to get them cooked evenly. Serve hot with tzatziki.

Pita & Hummus





Nothing fancy here... I have made my own hummus at times, but honestly, I have not found a recipe that compares to the store bought kind (let me know if you have one I can try). I cut the pita into 6 pieces and lightly cover with butter. I then heat them in the oven until butter is melted and the pita is heated through (a toaster oven works great for this). I then serve with hummus.

LEFTOVER IDEA - I use leftovers to make a stuffed pita. Simply cut open one side of the pita, spread hummus and tzatziki on the pita, add chicken and Greek salsa and close to enjoy for lunch or dinner. You can have this cold or hot. Add a bit of extra feta for some more flavor.