E2 eZ ee THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAy, MARCH 18 , 2020
isn’t thick, you can strain it
through a cheesecloth over a
bowl, but it can take about an
hour or so to significantly
reduce the moisture.
The bright flavors in the dip
come from the fresh dill and the
three cloves of fresh minced
garlic. If you’re not a garlic fiend
like I am, consider adding just
one or two cloves.
[email protected]walked me through the simple
process, stressing that a key to
success is squeezing as much of
the juice from the coarsely
grated cucumber as possible.
I love cucumber water, so I
like to squeeze the vegetable
over a small bowl. Then, I
refrigerate the juice and use it to
flavor fizzy water.
Find the thickest yogurt
possible for this dip. If yoursSouvlaki-Style Chicken With Tangy Yogurt Dip
4 servings
NOTE: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in a shallow pan of water
for 30 minutes before cooking.
Leftover chicken and dip can be refrigerated in separate containers
for up to 3 days.
Chicken recipe adapted from FoodandWine.com; tzatziki recipe
adapted from Ginny Zissis, director of the New Orleans annual Greek
Festival.Ingredients
For the yogurt dip
l^1 / 2 large cucumber, peeled
l1 cup plain whole-fat or low-fat
Greek yogurt
l1 tablespoon finely chopped
fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried
dill)
l3 cloves garlic, minced
l1 teaspoon white vinegar
l1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
oil
lKosher salt, to taste
For the chicken
l 11 / 2 pounds boneless, skinlesschicken breasts
l2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive
oil
l1 tablespoon dried oregano
l 11 / 2 teaspoons fresh lemon
juice, plus more for squeezing
over chicken
l^1 / 4 teaspoon kosher salt
l^1 / 4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
For serving
lWhole-wheat pitas
lSliced yellow onion
lLemon wedges
lTo mato wedges
lPitted kalamata olivesSometimes when
I’m cooking a
dish, I find myself
anticipating the
leftovers as much
as the initial
meal. That’s the
case with this
souvlaki-style
chicken and
tzatziki.
I’ll enjoy it the
night I make it, with chicken hot
from the oven and the toasty
pita, but I love knowing I can
open the refrigerator the next
day, grab a few chunks of cold
chicken, a dollop of that dill-
flavored Greek yogurt dip,
maybe an olive or two and tuck
that all into half a pita for a
delicious snack.
It’s one of those small delights
in life.
When I serve this to a group,
however, I like to create a pretty
serving platter with a bowl full
of tzatziki, salty black kalamata
olives, ripe tomatoes, sweet
onion wedges and whole-wheat
pita warmed in the oven. I
usually put a wedge or two of
lemon on the platter as well, so
folks can add a spritz of juice as
they eat. (If you have cucumber
and fresh dill, you can put them
out with your platter, too.)
This platter always gets an
“oh-how-pretty” when presented
to guests, who then dig in with
relish. Some tear the pita and fill
it with chicken, veggies and
yogurt dip; others prefer to eat
the meat and accompaniments
with a fork.
The chicken is so easy to make.
At home, I sometimes don’t use
skewers, although they do make a
lovely presentation. I just cut the
chicken into chunks, toss it with
olive oil, lemon juice and oregano,
spread it on a sheet pan and pop
it in the oven, turning them about
halfway through.
The small chicken pieces will
dry out if overbaked, so if the
protein is done before it browns
nicely, I move the rack up closer
to the broiler for just a minute
or two. That usually does the
trick.
This tzatziki recipe, which
calls for, among other things,
grated cucumber, is one I
learned from Ginny Zissis, who
helps to put on the delicacy-
filled, three-day New Orleans
Greek Festival each May. She
Ann
Maloney
DINNER IN
MINUTES
Chicken takes well to souvlaki style, on platter or pita
Steps
lMake the yogurt dip: Cut the
cucumber in half lengthwise
and, using a spoon, scrape out
the seeds. Grate the cucumber
on the coarse side of the grater
and transfer to a clean kitchen
towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze
gently but firmly to press out
most of the liquid.
lIn a medium bowl, combine
the grated cucumber, yogurt,
dill, garlic, vinegar and oil,
and season to taste with salt.
Cover and refrigerate while
you make the chicken. (You
should have about 1^1 / 2 cups of
dip.)
lMake the chicken: Place the
oven rack 4 to 6 inches from
the broiling element and heat
the broiler on high. Line a
large, rimmed baking sheet
with aluminum foil.
lUsing a sharp paring knife,
trim any fat from the chicken
and cut into bite-size pieces, 1-
to 1^1 / 2 -inch cubes. In a large
bowl, whisk together the oil,
oregano, lemon juice, salt and
pepper. To ss the chicken in
the seasoning until coated.
lIf using skewers, thread the
chicken pieces onto the skew-
ers, so the pieces are touching,
about 6 pieces of chicken on
each skewer. Place the skew-
ers on the baking sheet and
broil for 8 to 10 minutes,
turning them over with tongs
halfway through cooking, un-
til the chicken begins to
brown. (If not using skewers,
spread the chicken on the
baking sheet and follow the
same broiling instructions.)
lTransfer the chicken to plates
and squeeze the lemon over
them.
lServe the chicken and yogurt
sauce with warm whole-
wheat pitas, sliced yellow on-
ion, lemon wedges, tomatoes
wedges and olives.
nutrition | chicken per serving: 270
calories, 38 g protein, 0 g carbohydrates,
12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 125 mg
cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 0 g dietary
fiber, 0 g sugar
nutrition | yogurt dip per tablespoon
(using low-fat yogurt): 15 calories, 1 g
protein, 0 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 0 g
saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg
sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar
recipe tested by Ann Maloney; email
questions to [email protected]PHotos by stAcy ZArin goldberg for tHe WAsHington Post; food styling by lisA cHerKAsKy for tHe WAsHington PostGet your“Journey to Space”poster!Just $8 plus shipping, while supplies last!Available at:store.washingtonpost.comTeachers! Get a FREE copy of the poster bysigning up for the KidsPost teacher email!To sign up, go to wapo.st/kidspostteachers18” x 24”Hey, future astronauts and space enthusiasts...N1177 3x10.5