Middle Eastern Monday

Middle Eastern food is fresh, light, and perfect for a warm spring evening. And this meal was exactly that. The Spicy Chicken Shawarma was easy to change into a vegetarian dish by substituting the chicken with tofu. Both the chicken and tofu versions were absolutely delicious, especially for a quick and filling weeknight meal.


Spicy Chicken Shawarma (Cooking Light, April 2010)

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. coriander
5 Tbs. plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. tahini
4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup prechopped red onion

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 Tbs. yogurt, 1 Tbs. juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; saute 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 Tbs. lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 tsp. tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 Tbs. cucumber, 1 Tbs. tomato, and 1 1/2 tsp. onion.