When I planned the menu this week I was looking for a new light, spring/summer recipe. I love pitas and the sauce sounded really intriguing.
Sauce
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Chicken
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
Chopped tomatoes
Thinly sliced red onion
To make the sauce, strain the yogurt over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.
Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white 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.
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.
Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler.
Heat pitas. Top with chicken, sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.
I made about half this recipe and it made two pitas for each of us. To prepare the chicken I broiled it in the toaster oven. (LOVE the toaster oven – especially during warmer weather)
I did have leftover sauce, but I plan to serve it as dipping sauce for some Chicken Kabobs I have planned to try later in the week. It’s a new recipe so chances are good it will make for another blog post.