Tender marinated chicken strips nestled in warm, soft skillet flatbreads with Greek dressing and feta tzatziki sauce. Paired with a Greek salad this is a recreation of one of my family’s favorite Greek diner meals, part of my dinner party menu sponsored by McCormick Gourmet.
When I think dinner party I think themes like Mexican, Italian or in this case Greek. I also think “simple” after a Mexican dinner party where I made 3x too much food. I used McCormick’s line of Gourmet spices, herbs and herb blends but included alternatives in case you don’t have them on hand.
The dinner began with a Greek Salad bar where guests could help themselves. I laid out trays of sun-dried and fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, sliced red onion and romaine hearts. I made a lemon and herb enriched dressing using McCormick’s Tuscan Seasoning (a blend of spices including marjoram, rosemary, thyme, basil, red pepper, onion, sun-dried tomato and red bell pepper).
For the souvlaki, strips of chicken are marinated in a lemon and olive oil marinade with more of the Tuscan Seasoning, dijon and garlic making them super tender with flavor that explodes in your mouth. You have the option of skewering them and grilling them on an outdoor grill or cooking them stovetop (sans the skewers) in a grill pan.
The flatbreads are my favorite – I used them before for falafel. This time I spiced them up with McCormick’s smoked paprika, roasted ground cumin and ancho chile powder.
Soft, warm and tender; the spices are subtle.
My tzatziki sauce is a little different from the norm. I start with sour cream instead of Greek yogurt and I add feta cheese. With little cubes of crunchy cucumber, lemon, garlic and a ton of sweet dillweed it is entirely addicting. I recommend doubling the recipe. You will want to dip everything you can get your hands on into it including the warm flatbreads straight off the griddle.
Tender marinated chicken strips nestled in warm, soft skillet flatbreads with Greek dressing and feta tzatziki sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
- The night before or the morning of: trim visible fat off the chicken and cut crosswise into 1” wide strips. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl whisk all the marinade ingredients together, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss well. Cover and store in refrigerator overnight.
- You can skewer the chicken and grill it on an outdoor grill or use a grill pan stove top. If using wooden skewers soak in water for a half hour or so before grilling. Skewer each piece twice lengthwise. Grill on all sides until cooked through.
- Serve on warm flat or pita bread with tzatziki sauce (and/or Greek dressing - recipe below) garnished with fresh vegetables like tomato, onion and lettuce.
Notes:
Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved. No copying or duplication of any content (including photos) without the express written permission from the owner of this website.
Cucumber, feta cheese, garlic, dill and lemon come together with sour cream to make this irresistible sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Sprinkle the diced cucumber lightly with salt and drain in a wire strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator 1-2 hours ahead of time.
- Combine with the sour cream, feta, garlic, lemon and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator.
Notes:
Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved. No copying or duplication of any content (including photos) without the express written permission from the owner of this website.
All the makings of a Greek inspired salad with a lemon and herb enriched dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a food processor emulsify the first 3 ingredients together. Mix in the garlic, lemon zest and seasonings. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss your choice of salad ingredients together just before serving. Alternately you can make up a “salad bar” with the ingredients laid out on a platter or in small bowls.
Notes:
Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved. No copying or duplication of any content (including photos) without the express written permission from the owner of this website.
Soft and tender flatbreads cooked in a skillet.
INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Stir together yeast and 1 + 1/3 cups water heated to 115° in a small bowl and let sit until foamy - about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile whisk flour, sugar, salt and spices together in a large bowl. Add the yeast and oil stirring until a dough forms.Transfer to a floured work surface and knead until smooth 6–8 minutes. Cover lightly all over with flour; transfer to a large, lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Gently punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces, knead each into a ball. Place balls on a floured surface and cover with plastic wrap, allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, transfer to a flat, lightly floured work surface and roll into a 6-7 inch circle. Brush with oil and add to skillet, oiled side down, brush top with oil. Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 2–3 minutes.
Notes:
Adapted from Saveur
Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved. No copying or duplication of any content (including photos) without the express written permission from the owner of this website.
McCormick Gourmet is holding a Dinner Party Chain contest to Win the Ultimate Dinner Party Package!
It could be a casual gathering or a formal soiree. Simply create your Dinner Party theme and menu and you could win an exclusive prize package worth over $1,000 to help you host the dinner of your dreams!
Winners will also be eligible to win the Grand Prize: a trip to New York City for the Food Network Wine & Food Festival.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received a dinner party kit including product and gift cards. All opinions are my own.
Made my mouth water.
That looks appetizing especially the flat bread 🙂
I was just thinking about how I hadn’t had Greek food in awhile!
The tzatziki with feta!!! Sounds so amazing…and those soft flatbreads look right up my alley. A pure Greek treat.
The skillet flat bread is one catch my eye. Looks delicious. I will try that salad and flat bread for sure.