Tuesday, March 3

Chicken Gyros with Cucumber Salsa and Tsatsiki

First I have to say that it is so typical of Epicurious to categorize this as "Quick & Easy" when it involved not only homemade tsatsiki but homemade salsa and homemade garlic sauce. This was certainly good --all the flavor I'd expect from an Epicurious recipe but not what I'd call "Quick & Easy." Save your categories for Top Chef, Epicurious.

Chicken Gyros
adapted from Gourmet
INGREDIENTS
2 cucumbers, divided
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, divided
5 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
dried parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4-5 tablespoons cup fresh rosemary, chopped
1 (12-ounces) package naan bread (four 8-inch pieces)
or 4 (8-inch) pita rounds
1/2 roast chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded (about 2 1/4 cups)
8 leaves of spinach, shredded or chopped


DIRECTIONS
Tsatsiki
Peel and grate 1 cucumber, then squeeze it with your hands to remove excess water. Stir together with yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, one third of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to make tsatsiki.
Cucumber Salsa
Cut remaining cucumber into 1/4-inch pieces and stir together with tomatoes, onion, dash of parsley, mint, remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, and dash of salt and pepper to make salsa.
Garlic Oil Spread
Gently simmer oil, oregano, rosemary, remaining garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and dash of pepper in a small heavy saucepan, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. (I did this in the microwave.) Generously brush one side of bread with oil and toss chicken in with the remainder. Stir to keep warm while toasting bread.

Heat bread, oiled side up, on cookie sheet, covered with foil, 3 to 4 inches from broiler 3 minutes. Uncover and broil, flipping bread for even coloring, until golden in spots, about 2 minutes.

Open pita and fill with spinach, salsa, chicken and tsatsiki. Or serve all ingredients on top of pita or naan bread. This is even better as leftovers, as chicken stored in garlic rosemary sauce has marinated in the flavor. YUM!

I accidentally put oregano in the salsa. Don't do that.

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