Chicken Shawarma Bowls

YUM!!! This meal was so easy and so tasty! Great for kids because they can personalize it themselves and it would be great for meal prepping too. The main recipe below is from Skinnytaste, but I used Mel's Kitchen Cafe's hummus/yogurt recipe (it is our go-to all the time!). I served ours with pita bread (for the kids) and with a mix of quinoa and cauliflower-rice for Mike and I. Plus topping choices of cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese. A definite hit in our house!

Chicken:
1 pound (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 medium lemon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, in a Ziploc bag. Pound each breast to an even thickness, about ½-inch thick, being careful not to puncture the bag. Place pounded chicken breasts back into bag and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, red pepper, salt and black pepper and whisk again.
Pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken, massaging it to evenly coat. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Over medium-high heat, grill the chicken for 3 minutes or until it no longer sticks to the grill. Turn the chicken and grill an additional 3-4 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes then slice it thinly, across the grain. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

Yogurt-Hummus Sauce:
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (nonfat or regular)
1/3 cup hummus (storebought or homemade)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add hot water a teaspoon at a time to thin the sauce, if needed.

Crustless Spinach and Feta Pie

I had this on our menu for dinner during the week and then ended up needing a breakfast item for a dinner with family so I made it for that. We cut it into 10 pieces, which were pretty small, but with all the other options available it was fine. I think if this is your main dish, it probably would serve 4-6. It is healthy, easily adaptable to make it gluten-free and was pretty tasty too. It was another winner from Skinnytaste!

Ingredients:
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup (2.5 oz) reduced fat crumbled feta (I used garlic-herb version)
2 tbsp grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (I used gluten-free all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup fat free milk
1 tsp olive oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray or your misto.
Mix spinach, scallions, dill, parsley, feta cheese, and in the pie dish.
Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and blend well. Pour into pie dish.
Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 6-8 • Serving Size: 1/6th • Points+: 3 pts • Calories: 125.9 • Fat: 5.3 g • Protein: 8.8 g • Carb: 12.3 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 1.7 g Sodium: 433.1 mg

Grammy's Loaded Veggie Salad

This salad is amazing! My grandma brought it to our Super Bowl party and I couldn't get enough of it! I will definitely be using it in the future...maybe for a baby shower coming up or having friends over for lunch...or for any occasion I can think of :-). It makes a huge salad, so if you are making it just for your family, you may want to halve it, or keep the dressing separate.

Ingredients:
2 7oz mixed greens
2 lge. Avocados
L lge. Cucumber
½ (10oz.) package shredded carrots
¾ C. dried cranberries
½ C. sliced almonds, toasted
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with herbs (I use 6 oz)
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 (0.7 ounce) package Italian dressing mix
½ Cup olive oil
¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. sun dried tomatoes chopped
Croutons (optional)

Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

I have tried a couple recipes lately that I was disappointed in, which is never fun. You feel like you have wasted time and money on the ingredients, not to mention not getting to enjoy a yummy dinner! Well, this was just the change I needed to get me wanting cook again. I saw this recipe on The Sister's Cafe and couldn't wait to try it. It is perfect for lunch with girlfriends and for dinner too (I grilled some chicken to go with it for dinner). I will definitely be making it again soon and I loved my addition of the black beans because it made it a little more filling. SOOO good!!!

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked Quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
5 ears of corn, husk removed, brush with olive oil and grilled, remove corn with sharp knife (I put under broiler in oven for a bit)
2 avocados, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
2 cups tomatoes, red and yellow cherry variety or equivalent
1 small red onion, finely diced (I'll just use 1/2 next time)
¾ cups feta cheese, crumbled
1 ½ cups english cucumber, skin on and chopped small dice
(I added one can black beans, rinsed and drained)
2 TB of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Add to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cilantro Vinaigrette
6 T. Olive oil
2 T. Sherry vinegar
1 tsp. Garlic powder
2 T. Fresh cilantro, minced
½ tsp. Salt
10 Grinds of fresh ground pepper
Add all of the above ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. Shake really well. Taste and adjust seasoning as you desire.
When ready to serve salad, add the dressing and gently toss.

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki

(this is mine in the gluten-free pizza crust for lunch the next day, it was too dark the night we ate them to get a good picture in the flatbread)

This recipe (from Favorite Family Recipes) has been on my "to make" list for quite sometime. I kept putting it off thinking it seemed like a lot of work, but was surprised at how easy it all came together when I finally made them. I LOVED these! They are light and crisp and such a wonderful combination of flavors. I used a gluten free pizza crust cut in half as my flat bread while the rest of the family used the real thing. The pizza crust (I used an Udi brand one) ended up being a perfect substitute. Leftovers for lunch the next day were just as good and we used the tzatziki sauce on another dish later in the week. I think I will be making these for my next lunch get together!

Marinade:
3/4 c. balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 of a lemon)
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Tzatziki Sauce (cucumber sauce):
1/2 c. seeded, shredded cucumber
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp. Montreal seasoning (I substituted some extra dill, garlic powder and coriander)
kosher salt to taste
pepper to taste

4 slices of soft flatbread or pitas (or gluten free pizza crusts :-)

Toppings:
heart of romaine lettuce, cut into slices
red onion, thinly sliced
tomatoes, sliced
kalamata olives (didn't use)
banana peppers (pepperoncinis), sliced
crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
In a small bowl mix all marinade ingredients. Cut up chicken into cubes (for skewering) and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over the chicken, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime, combine cucumber and kosher salt and let sit for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, rice vinegar, and olive oil. Season with garlic, fresh dill, and Montreal seasoning. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any excess water; stir into sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Skewer chicken (remember to soak your skewers if they are wooden) and place on grill over medium-high heat, turning 1/4 turn every couple minutes. When chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, remove from heat. (I used my grill pan)

Place flatbread on the grill, and cook for about 90 seconds, until warm, turning frequently to avoid burning. Arrange chicken (removed from the skewers of course), lettuce, onion, tomato, olives, and banana peppers on the flatbread. Top with tzatziki sauce and feta cheese.

Greek Orzo (or Brown Rice)

This salad from Taste Buds was SOOO delicious and a perfect lunch to make and have on hand during the week. I used brown rice instead of the orzo to keep it gluten-free and also threw in some chicken to add a little protein and help feel me up. I LOVE it and can't wait to go eat more today!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked orzo (or 3/4 cup brown rice)
1/2 cup diced cucumber; seeds removed
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup fresh minced parsley
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used reduced fat)
1/4 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata (or black) olives (I left these out)

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package. Drain. Combine orzo, cucumber and onion in a large bowl; toss well. In a separate bowl combine parsley, lemon juice, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir well with a whisk until incorporated. Pour over orzo and add remaining ingredients. Toss gently to coat. Serve with grilled pita bread (brush with olive oil, sprinkle on a little kosher salt and warm through on grill.)

Lazy Baked Greek Chicken

This a recipe from Rachael Ray and it turned out super, super yummy. I put a little less stuffing in my kids' chicken because I wasn't sure how they would like the feta and spinach, but they ate it all, so next time I'll just make it like ours. It's always fun to serve a chicken dish that looks so fancy too :-).

Ingredients:
2 T EVOO
1/2 medium onion, finely shopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed (I used fresh spinach and wilted in the microwave in a bowl with a little water...just drain it well after)
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (didn't have, so didn't use)
3 T butter
1 c panko breadcrumbs
1 t dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (mine was a garlic and herb kind)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-Heat 1 T EVOO in small skillet over med heat. Add the onion and 2/3 of the garlic and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes.
-Transfer to a bowl to cool, then add the spinach and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
-Melt the butter in the same pan, turn off the heat and add the panko, oregano and remaining garlic; toss.
-Drizzle baking dish with remaining 1 T EVOO. Split each chicken breast across (but not all the way through) and open like a book. Stuff with the spinach and feta, letting the stuffing overflow at the edges.
-Place chicken pieces in the baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake until the juices run clear, about 20 minutes.

Penne with Chickpeas, Feta and Tomatoes

I scored a super cheap subscription to Cooking Light and this recipe come from my first issue (March 2010). I wanted a fun new lunch recipe to try and to share with a friend and this one caught my eye. In the magazine it is described, "salty feta, sweet cherry tomatoes, and nutty chickpeas combine for a hearty Greek-inspired pasta dish." I thought it was really easy and really different and really GOOD! It would be great as a dinner dish as well and some grilled chicken would be a nice addition.

Ingredients:
-8 oz uncooked penne (I used gluten-free rice penne)
-2 T olive oil
-1/2 c. chopped shallots (I used green onion)
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
-1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-3 c. halved cherry tomatoes (I quartered some of mine)
-3/4 c (3 oz) crumbled feta cheese
-1/3 c. small fresh basil leaves (I didn't have and sprinkled generously with oregano)
-1/2 t. salt
-1/2 t. grated lemon rind (I squirted lemon juice in it)
-1/4 t. ground black pepper

Directions:
-Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/4 c. cooking liquid
-Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; saute 45 seconds, stirring constantly.
-Stir in bell pepper and chickpeas; saute 2 min, stirring occasionally.
-Add tomatoes; saute 2 minutes.
-Stir in pasta and reserved cooking liquid; cook 1 min or until thoroughly heated.
-Remove from heat. Add feta and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.

Feta Pork Chop Skillet

Trying all these new recipes out has me getting brave enough to buy meat other than chicken and ground beef. I saw this recipe on The Sister's Cafe and thought it looked really good. I love adding new flavors to our menus and this one was a huge hit. Ella ate all her meat and even asked for more!

Ingredients:
1 t crushed dried rosemary
1 t dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch black pepper
1 T olive oil
4 pork chops (I used 3)
¼ c fresh lemon juice
2 oz (or more) crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes (I used 4 oz)
1-2 yellow summer squash or zucchini, remove seeds and slice (I have never removed seeds from them so I didn't...I used 3 zucchini and 2 squash because I love them, but I did have to take the meat out at the end so I had more room for them all to finish cooking)

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together rosemary, basil, garlic, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip pork chops in lemon juice, and spread both sides with herb mixture.
Place pork chops in skillet, drizzle with some of remaining lemon juice, and sear both sides, about 7 minutes per side.
After a few minutes, add sliced squash to edges of pan. Reduce heat to low.
Sprinkle feta on top of chops; cover skillet, and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes.
(We served over rice)

Spinach and Feta Rice

I found a great deal on Feta cheese last week so I bought it and then began a search for a new recipe to use it. About.com pulled through for me again and I found this one. I ended up making it for lunch and it was SO good! It completely hit the spot and was easy and healthy as well. I definitely will be making this again soon!!!

Ingredients:
•3 Tablespoons olive oil
•1 large onion, chopped finely
•2 large garlic cloves, minced
•1-1/4 cups uncooked long-grain rice
•2 cups chicken broth
•1/4 cup dry white wine
•1-1/2 (10-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach leaves (remove any large stems), very coarsely chopped
•2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
•1 cup crumbled feta cheese (or bleu cheese)
•Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the rice and stir about 2 minutes or until the rice is translucent.
Carefully add the chicken broth and wine. Stir to mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook about 15 minutes or until the rice is almost tender.
Stir in the spinach, cover and cook another 8 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Mix in the tomatoes and Feta cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.