Chicken Gyros

I've been meaning to try these for like years. But I kept putting it off because it seemed work intensive; however, they were surprisingly easy! And with this wrap bread they're just stinking amazing!

I marinated the chicken for like 2 hours instead of 1, and it tasted great! Oh also I forgot to buy feta because she didn't mention it in the recipe and I'm an airhead. Buy feta. It would be even better!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/08/chicken-gyros.html

INGREDIENTS

For the tzatziki sauce:
• 16 oz. plain yogurt (not fat free unless it is Oikos or Fage or another Greek-type yogurt)
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded (I used 1/2 of an English cucumber)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken:
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
To assemble:
• Soft wrap bread (or pita bread)
• Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Red onion, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. (You won’t believe how much liquid drains from the yogurt – it makes the yogurt much thicker and creamier. If you want to splurge on Greek yogurt, like Oikos or Fage, you won’t need to strain it like this.)
2. Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
3. To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
4. Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I sauted them in a hot skillet.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
5. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Mel's Greek Tacos

So I tried these Greek Tacos with the flat bread that Sara put up a little while ago.  I loved the bread.  Loved, loved, loved the tzatziki and the tomato/cucumber salsa.  The meat was ok, however, I think this is me, not the recipe because (1) the boys I fed my leftovers to had no complaints and seconds and (2) I have made another of Mel's Greek things and a Greek recipe from a different website and same problem.  But I thought I would put this up anyways because I think the rest of you would really enjoy it.

From: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/09/big-fat-greek-tacos.html

INGREDIENTS

Cucumber Tomato Salsa:
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 firm large tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• Salt and black pepper to taste
Feta Mint Tzatziki:
• 1 English cucumber
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
• Salt and black pepper to taste
Lamb or Turkey:
• 2 pounds ground lamb or turkey (I used turkey)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (I don't really like oregano, so I did 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp marjoram and 1 tsp of basil)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup broth (chicken, vegetable or beef)
For the pitas:
• 6-8 non-pocket pita or soft wrap breads (I used our favorite soft wrap bread)

DIRECTIONS

1. At least one hour or as early as one day before you are serving, prepare the salsa and tzatziki. For the cucumber salsa, toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to 24 hours to marry the flavors.
2. For the tzatziki, peel the cucumber and shred on the large holes of a box grater. Place the shredded cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess water until the cucumber is very dry. In a medium bowl, stir together the strained cucumber, yogurt, feta, garlic and mint. Again, season with salt and pepper to taste. The tzatziki can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Give it a good stir before serving.
3. For the meat, heat a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground lamb or turkey with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces and cooking until the meat is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
4. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the oregano and tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the broth and let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
5. Warm the pita breads in a cast iron skillet or in the microwave until soft and heated through. Serve the tacos by spooning meat into the center of a pita bread and topping with cucumber salsa and tzatziki.

Greek Chicken Pita Pockets

This seemed different than my normal meal and I was wanting something different. And I was scared to make pita bread, what if it didin't puff?? So I made that delicious wrap bread. I thought this was interesting. I'm happy with it, I'll probably make it again but not like every week. But it's fast and easy and in a crock pot.

I feel like to live up to it's "Greek" name, it should have had feta. But I didn't think about it until later.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/08/greek-chicken-pita-pockets-slow-cooker.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium white or yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 pita pocket breads, cut in half
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tomato, sliced or diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

DIRECTIONS

1. In a slow cooker, combine the onion, garlic, chicken, lemon pepper, oregano, and allspice. Turn the chicken so that it is coated with the seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
2. Remove the chicken and onions from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cover the chicken and onion mixture and keep warm. Whisk the yogurt into remaining juices/seasonings in the slow cooker. Spoon some of the chicken and onions into each pocket of the pita bread (or just place the chicken and onions on top of another round bread that can be rolled up, like this soft wrap bread or other flatbread). Top with tomato, cucumber and red pepper strips. Drizzle warm yogurt sauce on top and serve immediately.

Soft Wrap Bread

I made this to go with a pita recipe that I thought looked interesting, I'll post it too. This bread is so good. So good. I had some for breakfast with butter and cinnamon and sugar. For lunch with this hummus stuff we got at the farmers market. It was real good.

I made it with half whole wheat flour and half white because it sounded healthier and because it's more filling and I'm into filling Sam up and having left overs. It was still so good with whole wheat flour. I'm half scared with how good it would be with just white flour.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/08/soft-wrap-bread.html

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes (I used potato flakes)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast

DIRECTIONS

1. Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir until smooth. Lightly cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the slightly cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough. It may look like the flour/salt/oil/yeast mixture will never absorb into the boiling water/flour mixture. It will, I promise, but you may need to take it out of your electric mixer, if using one, and knead the flour in by hand or add it very gradually into your electric mixer.
3. Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it’s not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky (the dough is fairly stiff, so don’t be worried – just be careful not to overflour the dough). Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour (I let mine rise up to 2 hours).
4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side (I cooked mine about 2-3 minutes per side and they didn’t dry out), until they’re puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Warning: this recipe needs to sit in the fridge for at least a few (which I interpret to read three) hours.  I didn't catch that when I was making it the first time, so instead of eating it on a Saturday, when I started making it, I ate it on Sunday, with friends at Casey's house.  Yeah, my friends were incredibly happy with my mistake.  This bread now has the endorsement of game night friends, plus the elders who just happened to be at Casey's for game night on Sunday (weird, I know).  I thought this was wonderful.

From: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/05/cinnamon-pull-apart-bread/

Ingredients:

2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 heaping tsp. baking powder
1/2 scant tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
Cinnamon

Glaze:

8 oz. powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract (I did not include this because I think almond extract is disgusting)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (I doubled this, because I wasn't paying attention)
Enough milk to make a glaze to desired consistency

Instructions:

In a large (at least 4-quart) pot or saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and oil. Heat just to boiling, stirring occasionally, and then remove from heat. If you’ve got lots of ice handy, dump all that you have into a clean sink and then place the pan of scalded milk over the ice. This way, the milk mixture cools quickly and the melted ice just drips down the drain.

When the milk has cooled to around 105-115 degrees, remove from ice and sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes. Stir. Mix in 4 c. flour and cover. This can be done with a wooden spoon; the dough is VERY soft, more like a batter. Allow to stand for 1 hour.

Mix remaining 1/2 c. flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle over the dough and then mix it in with the wooden spoon. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the pan and refrigerate for at least a few hours and up to 24 hours.  (Note, I just covered the dough and the dough grew so it got crusty.  So maybe cover the pan and this won't happen)

Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan and set it aside.

When you’re ready to use the dough, turn it onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 18 inches wide by 9 inches tall. Spread with 6 tablespoons of melted or softened butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and an even sprinkling of cinnamon.

Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 6 3″ strips. Stack the strips 3 strips high (so you have 2 piles). Cut each of the stacks into 3 3″ squares. Place the squares, cut side up (not the flat, sugared side) into the prepared pan, being careful not to stuff too much dough into the pan. Any leftover dough can be baked in mini pans or muffin tins.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the loaf. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

While the loaf is rising, preheat oven to 350.

Bake for 25-35 minutes (or until baked through). If you don’t want your fire alarm to go off, place a baking sheet on the rack below the loaf pan. If the loaf is getting too brown on top, lightly place a sheet of aluminum foil over the loaf while it finishes baking.

And this is where I deviate, if you want what they did, go to their website.  Take out of the over but keep on that pan you used to keep the fire alarm from going off.  Allow to cool until it is warmish.  Mix together the glaze during that cooling period.  Dump half to 2/3 of the glaze on top (its on the pan so you can glaze it messily and not worry about cleaning your counter because you already have to wash that pan).  Tip the bread out onto a plate and dump the other half of the glaze on what used to be the bottom.  Serve warm.  Or if you want it to be pretty, after dumping it out, flip it back over but then pour the rest of the glaze on the sides so that the bottom half gets happy and glazed too.  

Middle Eastern Food Night

This post will contain all of the recipes we tried on Middle Eastern food and what I thought of them.  You are more than welcome to add your thoughts in comments if you think I left anything out.


Beef Shawarma:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lamb-shawarma/detail.aspx

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 5 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips

Directions

1. Place the yogurt, water, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, onion, and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the salt, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, clove, mace, and cayenne pepper until evenly blended. Mix in the lamb strips to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Cook the lamb strips in a single layer in batches until the fat melts and the meat has browned and is no longer pink on the inside, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Changes we made: 

-We only used 2.5 lbs of beef (I think it was steak, but I don't actually know)

-We doubled the sauce

-This had great flavor, but way too much cayenne.  I think I halved the cayenne, it just probably needs a dash so you can taste everything else. 

-I am pretty sure I halved or omitted the salt due to comments on this recipe, but I can't actually remember. 

Tahini Paste:

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-diy-tahi-29695


2 cups sesame seeds
1/4 cup olive oil


Heat a heavy wide-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sesame seeds and toast lightly, about two minutes, shaking the pan so they cook evenly.  Let cool completely.  


Put in a food processor and drizzle in the olive oil.  Pulse for 3-5 minutes until it is smooth.  Add more olive oil as needed.  Refrigerate.  


Comments: 
-I didn't wait until it was completely cool.  I also got bored waiting for them to toast, so I didn't really toast them.  It all turned out 


Hummas:

Hummus

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/12/classic-hummus-three-ways-sugar-rush-reinvented-2.html

printed from melskitchencafe.com

*Note: The prepared hummus can be prepared and refrigerated 5 days in advance (don't add the parsley and cilantro until ready to serve). When ready to serve, stir in 1 tablespoon hot water to loosen up the texture of the hummus, if needed. Tahini can usually easily be found in the natural foods section of many grocery stores.

*Makes about 2 cups

3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

1/4 cup water

6 tablespoons tahini, stirred well

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch cayenne

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro or parsley leaves

Combine lemon juice and water in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish, if desired (I processed all the chickpeas in with the hummus).

Process chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas (if using) and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Flatbread:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/02/flat-bread/

Ingredients

1 c. warm (105-115 F) water

2 packets or 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 1/4-2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, combine 2 c. flour, olive oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Add in yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add in another 1/4-1/2 c. of flour or until a very soft dough is formed. Cover with a clean towel and allow to stand about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Spray a baking sheet and then your hands with cooking spray. Punch dough down and then remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet and spread into a circle about 1/2″ thick and 11-12″-ish inches in diameter. Cover and allow to rise another 30 minutes.

While dough is rising, preheat oven to 400. When dough has risen, use your fingers to make indentations in the dough. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining Kosher salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly and then just tear pieces off instead of cutting it–it just tastes better that way… :)

Comments: 

-Bruch it with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt before making the indentations, otherwise the salt and oil gets stuck in the holes.  THis isn't really a flatbread, it tasted more like an italian bread to me, but regardless it was way good and my preferred way to eat the hummus.  Although Danielle liked the hummus better on pita chips.  

Falafel:

We tried two falafel recipes that were both a little different from each other.  

1: Falafel from the mix at Winco.  I don't remember how to make it, but it says on the contain.  You find it near the bulk spices, but closer to the bulk taco seasoning.  

2: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/falafel-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried chickpeas, picked through and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, leaves coarsely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 8 warm pita bread, store bought or homemade recipe follows
• Tahini Sauce, recipe follows
• Shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, chopped cucumbers

Directions

Put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and add cool water to cover by 2 inches. Soak the beans in the refrigerator for at least 18 hours or up to 24; the chickpeas will swell to triple their original size. Drain and rinse thoroughly.

Put the soaked chickpeas in a food processor and pulse to coarsely grind, not until smooth but with no whole chickpeas remaining either. Add the baking powder, onion, garlic, spices, and herbs; process until the mixture is pureed; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate while heating the oil, this should take about 15 minutes.

Pour 3-inches of the oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F.

Roll the falafel mixture into ping-pong size balls. (Alternatively, use an ice cream scoop.) Carefully slip a few at a time into the hot oil, making sure they don't stick to the bottom. Fry until the chickpea fritters are a crusty dark brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the falafels with a slotted spoon and drain on a platter lined with paper towels.

Open the pita bread halves to make pockets (don't split all the way) and put 4 fried falafels into each. Drizzle with the tahini sauce and layer with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Serve immediately.

Tahini Sauce:

1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 cup plain yogurt or water

1 lemon, juiced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Pinch salt

Pinch paprika

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, process on high speed to make a smooth and creamy sauce. Adjust seasoning, to taste, and serve with falafels or as a salad dressing.

Yield: about 1 cup

Comments:

The falafel recipe we made exactly as is, except I forgot the salt and it needed salt.  The tahini sauce I ended up adding more yogurt and tahini to drown out the amount of lemon juice...I think I put too much.  Do not just eat this tahini sauce off your finger, its gross.  But I really enjoyed it with the falafel dipped in it.  Before this evening, I had only had tahini sauce as a salad dressing, but I think that this particular recipe would be too bitter. 

Tabuleh (or Tabuoli or Tabbuleh etc, etc): 

This was also bought in the bulk section at WinCo.  Its main component is bulgar, but it also tomatoes, parsley and other spices.  I really liked it.