Chicken Gyros

These are so yummy that I have made them 3 times now. I even tried to make my own pitas... the pitas were delish but A LOT of work, so I found a place here in Birmingham that makes their own pitas and have cheated every since! If you are interested in making your own pitas, visit this link. Just a warning, your kitchen gets really messy and it seems to take a while! However, it is very rewarding and fun....

My basic review of these is that they are all about Summer. Nice and light, and have a wonderful taste. Love them for lunch and dinner and always serve them up with extra taziki sauce!

Chicken Gyros- adapted from Annie's Eats, Originally from Elly says Opa!

For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:

4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin (I hate raw onion, so never add, but if you desire, then do so!)

Directions:
To make the tzatziki sauce:

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. I cooked mine under the broiler after I cut it into bite size pieces. About 5 minutes, then take out and flip over, put back under broiler and cook about 4-6 minutes, watching the chicken closely. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat pitas (Spray with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Spicy Chipotle Bean Burritos

HELLO! Lots of stuff has been going on lately and blogging has been on the back-burner. I have been cooking and have lots of new, yummy, tested recipes to post on here.

Today I made these Spicy Chipotle Bean Burritos for lunch and they were so delicious. I found them from a new favorite blog, pink parsley catering. Please check it out, there are about 500 recipes that I want to try from there. Oh, and this is already my 3rd recipe that I have made from her website!

These are healthy and a complete protein, so you will feel full when you are finished!

Chipotle Bean Burritos
adapted from Cooking Light, January 2010 and Pink Parsley Catering (source)
serves 4-6

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
• 11/2 teaspoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth (I used water)
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 6-10 Tablespoons salsa (I might have used even more, I love salsa!)
• 6 10-inch whole wheat flour tortillas, warmed in microwave for 10-15 seconds
• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepperjack, monterey jack, or a mixture)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped spinach
• 6 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onion (recipe calls for it, I don't like green onions, so omitted them)
• Sour Cream
• Also optional: Avocados and fresh cilantro (I put these on mine and it as great)!

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, chile powder, chipotle chile, cumin, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salsa, and mash lightly.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top each serving with shredded cheese, tomatoes, spinach, green onion, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream. Roll tightly and serve immediately.