Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

If - and that is a capital I capital F if - I am really organized in the morning, my dinner prep starts before I leave for work to cook for another family.  But if the stars and moons align during my morning routine, I can chop a few vegetables, slice some chicken breasts or mix up a marinade to make dinner time a little less hurried.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas were on my menu for Monday night's dinner.  Lemon and oregano marinated chicken was grilled and tucked into pitas along with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers and drizzled with a Greek yogurt dressing.  I managed to mix up the marinade in the morning so the chicken could benefit from a long soak.  Even if your chicken marinates for as little as 30 minutes just before grilling, it will still have have loads of flavor.

This is one of those meals that can be tailored to the quirky flavor preferences of your family.  Your "No Thank You Boy" can eat just the chicken.  The starving softball player will eat two loaded pitas with all that is offered.  And The Husband that is working late will have a dinner that tastes like it was just made after a quick reheat of the grilled lemon chicken in the microwave.

And if you can manage to grill up a couple extra chicken breasts and chop some additional vegetables, you will have tomorrow's lunch waiting in the refrigerator in the morning.  It will be a lunch your co-workers will envy.


Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

adapted from this recipe in the March 2011 issue of  Cooking Light magazine

makes 8 half pita sandwiches

1 (6 ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless and sliced into thin fillets
4 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
shredded lettuce
chopped cherry tomatoes
thinly sliced cucumber
thinly sliced red onion

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic salt.  Set aside.

In a large resealable bag, combine the remaining lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Add the chicken and seal bag.  Make sure the marinade covers all the chicken.  Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight.

Heat a grill pan to medium high heat.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 2 minutes per side or until the chicken is just cooked through.  Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

To serve, open one of the pita halves and fill with some of the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions.  Slice the chicken in thin pieces and add some to the pita.  Drizzle with the cucumber sauce and serve.  Fill the remaining pitas in the same manner.