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!

new york vs. chicago round two!

Dear Dennis,

It's really too bad you didn't come with me to visit Kristin. You missed out on some really good eats & some fun times. Yes, we ate a lot, but we did try to burn at least some of it off with a five mile run/walk on Saturday and a kayaking stint on the Chicago River on Sunday. While it might have been tempting to catch our dinner while kayaking, we thought it might be a little unwise to consume something from a river that has been known to catch on fire.

Since pizza is always on the menu when we visit Chicago, we decided to keep the tradition going. However, instead of going to one of our favorite chi-town pizza joints, we decided to stay in and have a nice little kitchen competition instead. Pizza Throw-Down!

Kristin's challenge was to create a Chicago style deep dish/stuffed pizza. My challenge was to come up with a thin, foldable New York style pizza. So, create we did. Kristin's windy city pizza was good, with two crusts surrounding a filling of ricotta, and then topped with peppers, onions & mozzarella. A side of sauce added the finishing touch. The New York style pizza was a thin crust affair, topped with a thin layer of sauce, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Cooking the pie on the grill gave the crust an authentic brick-oven type finish.

After the flour settled, we both agreed that the visiting team won this challenge. Go New York! I think we'll continue to work on the stuffed pizza, though, because it definitely shows some promise.

new york style grilled pizza margherita

dough for a 12" pizza
1/2 c. jarred pizza or spaghetti sauce
1 tomato
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
fresh basil leaves

Preheat grill to 400F.
Remove pulp and seeds from tomato. Slice tomato as thinly as possible. Dry slices on paper toweling to remove excess moisture.
Roll pizza dough on floured surface as thinly as possible, while still being able to move it without tearing.
Place dough a pizza pan that will withstand direct heat from grill.
Prebake crust on grill for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, or until bottom just begins to brown.
Remove crust from grill.
Spread pizza sauce on crust, going all the way to the edges.
Place sliced mozzarella over sauce.
Top pizza with sliced tomatoes.
Carefully slide the pizza from the pizza pan directly onto grill over indirect heat.
Cook pizza over indirect heat for about 2 minutes, or until cheese melts, being careful not to burn the bottom of the crust.
Carefully remove pizza from grill. Top with fresh basil leaves and allow to rest a few minutes before serving.