Another Recipe--Chicken Souvlaki Salad

I love to cook.

I love recipes.

I love to share recipes, so I thought I'd share this one with everyone. It's super easy and so yummy! It makes a great all-in-one meal, especially with some pita bread and humus. This one is from Cooking Light.


Chicken Souvlaki Salad

2 tsp bottled minced garlic, divided
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
3 cups cubed peeled cucumber (about 3 cucumbers)
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta
2 tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb)
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup grated peeled cucumber
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat grill or broiler
2. Combine 1 tsp garlic and the next 6 ingredients (through chicken breast) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat. Remove chicken from the bag. Grill or broil chicken 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.
3. Combine chicken, cubed cucumber, and the net 4 ingredients (through tomatoes) in a large bowl. Combine yogurt and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over chicken mixture; toss well. Yields 4 servings.

Here's how I make it:

*I'm lazy. I cut the chicken up and place it in a pan with the 1 tsp garlic through black pepper; I add a little water, and cook until done. Drain, and add to other ingredients.
*I find the red pepper to a be a little intense, especially for Cinderella. I usually cut back on the red pepper and supplement paprika for whatever I cut out. This makes the dressing a little sweeter.
*I have never bothered to grate cucumbers for this salad and it turns out just fine.
*I double the feta. Sometimes I use flavored feta.
*I used whole kalamata olives, sometimes with pits intact. I also don't measure how many and buy way more than the recipe calls for.
*Bottled lemon juice works just fine.
*If you have leftover chicken, it substitutes just fine instead of the marinaded chicken in the recipe.

This recipe is a staple in our house. In fact, we're having it for dinner sometime next week.

Enjoy!