simple shawarma

Dear Mom,

I agree, simple is good.  In fact, simple is great for me right now as I've been busy trying to both enjoy my summer and study for my next licensing exam.  Unfortunately this means hours of reading the most boring study material, but fortunately I can do that outside which is a much nicer study environment than couped up in our apartment.  So time is a bit precious to me right now, and I can't devote as much time to cooking as I would like.  Its pretty hot right now anyway so the idea of standing over a hot stove isn't exactly appealing either.  What's the perfect solution?  The grill!  It's fast and keeps the heat out doors, also since the hubs loves to grill it allows us to share some of the dinner preparation responsibility.  I discovered this recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years ago, and its been a great summer-time go to ever since.  The marinade for the chicken involves only five ingredients plus salt, the tahini sauce on the side has only four ingredients and some of it overlaps the same ingredients from the marinade so preparation is quick and easy.  Serve it with shredded crunchy romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, olives, pita bread, and any other mediterranean ingredients that you like.  Delicious, light, healthy, and of course, simple.

chicken shawarma

for the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in to 1-inch tenders
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt

for the sauce:
1/2 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt (I like Fage 0%)
3 tbsp. tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt to taste

In a large zip-top plastic bag combine chicken and remaining ingredients through salt.  Shake and massage bag until the chicken is completely coated and marinade ingredients are combined.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat grill and prepare the sauce.  In a bowl stir to combine all of the sauce ingredients.

Grill the chicken over medium, medium-low heat about 4-5 minutes each side.

Serve with the tahini sauce and lettuce, tomatoes, olives, pita and anything else you like!

Aioli = Love

Dear Mom,

So the word around town is that your busy repainting the kitchen and cooking is just not feasible right now.  (Ahem, do you not own a grill?)  I suppose I can cut you a break, you're lucky that I've been in an exceptionally good mood lately because the hubs got a new job!  So, he's got a little time off as he transitions between jobs, and that means one thing: its time to kick back a little and celebrate!  And of course with celebration comes good food.  I think the counts are that I'm on day four of beef, day two of bacon and day three of french fries.  If you count the spinach I put on the burgers last night, I suppose I've had some greens mixed in a long the way, which is a good thing because otherwise I probably would be dead of a heart-attack at this point.

I've actually made this roasted garlic truffle aioli three times now in the past week.  The first time I made it the hubs said that he "hated my guts," I took it as a compliment because he was barely able to say anything at all as he devoured the french fries and aioli.  Let's just say its that good.  This aioli is fantastic, it also found its way onto our bacon cheddar burgers, and I could see it making its way onto chicken or even a nice grilled piece of salmon.  If you upped the lemon juice, you could probably even turn it into a salad dressing.  You could also bathe in it.  I won't judge, I promise.

oven baked fries with roasted garlic truffle aioli

2-3 large potatoes (preferably a kind with a yummy skin so you don't have to peel them)
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
chopped curly parsley, for garish

for the aioli:
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup curly parsley, loosely packed
1 tsp. truffle oil
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise (I like Helman's Olive Oil Mayo)
salt
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450.  Make a small bowl out of tin foil large enough to hold the 4 cloves garlic and coat well with olive oil.  Roast in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until browned.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks and soak in ice water for 30 minutes.

Drain the potatoes well and pat dry with paper towels.  Place the potatoes in a large zip-top bag and add the paprika, onion and garlic powders, and salt and pepper.  Zip up the bag and shake to coat.  Add the olive oil and shake again.  Spread evenly on a large baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden, checking frequently to be sure they don't burn.  (If some brown early, remove them as you go, you shouldn't need to turn or stir them.)

To prepare the aioli, take the cooled garlic cloves and using a paring knife scrape out the softened inside of the roasted cloves and place the scrapings in a small food processor.  Add the parsley, truffle oil and lemon juice and pulse until well combined.  Add the 1/4 cup mayo and season to taste.  Try your hardest to wait for the fries to come out of the oven before you eat the aioli with a spoon.

Serve aioli with fries on the side.  (Or serve the fries with the aioli on the side.)