Yummy Greek Chicken and Gyros

I have never been a huge fan of Greek food.  The reason being that I don't really like raw onions or raw garlic.  I love onions and garlic when they are cooked, but they are too strong for me raw, and I end up feeling sick.  My husband, on the other hand, LOVES Greek food, especially gyros.   A few months ago we moved to a new house and there is a Greek restaurant down the street.  People have been raving about their gyros, so I thought we'd give it a try.  I ordered a chicken gyro sans onions, and it was fabulous!  I told my husband that they probably wouldn't be that hard to make at home, and I was right!  These turned out SO yummy and I even made the chicken again a week later and served it on top of a Caesar salad!   The chicken tastes even better if you grill it on the barbecue!  I made my own pita bread, but you can use store bought.  

Greek Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (or grape seed oil)
• 2 tbsp. minced red onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag.  In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.  Squeeze the air out of the bag and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours to overnight. The longer you marinate the chicken the better the flavor will be.  Grill the chicken (you can use an outdoor grill or a grill pan on the stove) for about 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Allow the chicken to rest about 5 minutes before slicing.  

Gyros

• Greek chicken, sliced or cubed
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 cucumber peeled 
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced (you can add more if you like garlic, I don't so I add the minimum)
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or grape seed oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tomato, diced
• shredded lettuce 
• chopped red onions (if you like raw onions- I do not so I leave them off but my husband likes them)
• 4 pitas

Shred the cucumber using a cheese grater and squeeze out the water in a kitchen towel or paper towel.  To make the Tzatziki, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and oil then stir in the cucumber.  Place Tzatziki in the fridge for at least one hour to allow the flavors to meld.  To serve, place some sliced chicken down the middle of the pita (like a taco), top with tzatziki, tomato, lettuce, and onions (if desired).  Enjoy!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking.