Chicken Shawarma

Approximately 600 calories per person for two people

Chicken Ingredients

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients

Mediterranean Salad Ingredients

12 ounces (340 grams) tomatoes, diced
12 ounces (340 grams) English cucumber which should be what is left after the Tzatziki sauce, slightly skinned and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
10 Arugula leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
⅛ teaspoon (tsp) black pepper
2 teaspoons (tsp) olive oil
½ teaspoon (tsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ teaspoon (tsp) Freshly made Lemon Zest
⅛ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon (tsp) White Vinegar

Follow these steps in the following order

Chicken Prep Instructions

In a small bowl, create the Shawarma spices by mixing the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
Place the chicken in a large bowl.
Add the Shawarma spices and toss to coat.
Add the onions, lemon juice and olive oil.
Toss everything together again.
Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight (if you don’t have time, you can cut or skip marinating time)

Tzatziki Sauce Instructions

Use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumber.
Toss the cucumber with ⅛ teaspoon salt.
Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
In a bowl, place the minced garlic with remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt, white vinegar, and olive oil.
Mix to combine.
Add the dried cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture.
Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and dried dill.
Stir to combine well.
Cover and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the dinner. This will help thicken the sauce and the flavors to meld.

Chicken Cooking Instructions

When chicken is ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for a few minutes.
Spread the marinated chicken with the onions in one layer on a large lightly-oiled baking sheet pan.
Roast for 30 minutes in the 425 degrees pre-heated-oven.
At 20 minutes, check the internal temperature of the chicken. You want it to be 165 degrees.

Mediterranean Salad Instructions

While chicken is cooking make the salad.
In a large mixing bowl, place the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, and parsley.
Season with salt and toss.
Set aside for 5 minutes or so.
Add the lemon zest, vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, paprika, and lemon juice.
Mix well
Set the salad aside.

Put in all together