Tag Archives: chickenbreasts

Chicken Shawarma With Cucumber Sauce

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I find this confusing, but not to the point it will keep me from eating it! This dish, other than flavors, has nothing in common with a gyro or real shawarma, but it’s tasty and easier than gyros! Most recipes call for topping this with a tahini sauce, but myself and my family are crazy about the cucumber sauce that usually accompanies gyros, so we top ours with this! Don’t forget the sliced tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, and flatbread!

For the cucumber sauce:

  • 6 oz plain greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp mayo
For the chicken:
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • 1/4 tsp cardamon

Prepare the cucumber sauce. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Next, prepare the chicken. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the chicken, and stir until well combined. Place chicken strips in a large ziplock bag, and pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drain off marinade from the chicken, and add it to the skillet. Cook chicken for about 10 minutes, or until strips are firm and juice runs clear. Don’t over cook! Serve chicken over warmed flatbread with the cucumber sauce, and onions, tomato slices, and shredded lettuce. Roll up and eat like a taco! Enjoy!

Fried Fajitas

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It’s the New Year and everyone is making the resolution to eat healthy and lose weight, and I’m posting a recipe that is chicken, onions, and peppers, wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep-fried, then smothered in cheese sauce and topped with more cheese! (Sorry if you’re dieting!) 🙂 I’ve made a baked version of this too, and it’s just as tasty,but not as crispy!

For the fajitas:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  •  2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 lg onion, sliced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Fajita seasoning
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • 1 qt vegetable oil
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
For the cheese sauce:
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 2 cloves garlic

Prepare the cheese sauce first. In a food processor, chop jalapeno and garlic. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and half and half. Pulse until smooth and well blended. Place in the refrigerator while preparing fajitas.

To make strips with the chicken breasts, place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your palm flat on the chicken breast, and starting at the thick end, cut breast into two pieces by running a knife horizontally the whole length of the chicken breasts. You should have 2 cutlets.

Cut the cutlets into strips as shown. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

( This is a great way to make your own chicken breasts cutlets for other recipes, and it’s cheaper than buying them already cut! You pay more per pound for the extra processing!)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook and stir about 10 minutes. Add fajita seasoning and cook about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat while preparing fajitas.

To assemble, spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of fajita meat and veggies on to a flour tortilla and roll up as shown. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Fry rolled up tortillas, 2 at a time, until tortillas are golden, and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once cool enough to handle, remove toothpicks from the fajitas, and line up in a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Spoon cheese sauce evenly over the fajitas, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered about 15 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to brown. Serve with black beans, and fresh pico de gallo.  Enjoy!

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

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Flipping through my recipe books the other day, I came across a recipe for chicken nachos using green salsa and cheese sauce, and I thought “That would make great enchiladas!” Turns out, I was right! They’re delicious! It’s a little time-consuming, but if you’re in a hurry, you can use precooked chicken breasts and a jar of tomatillo salsa from the store.

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless,skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded
  • 1 large onion, divided (half chopped, half cut into chunks)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 2, plus 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • dash white pepper (Optional)
  • salt
  • 12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Trim any excess fat from chicken breasts, and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, place tomatillos, 1 half of the onion, jalapenos, and garlic in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Add cilantro and cumin and mix well.

When chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before shredding, pulling apart with 2 forks.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and add chopped onion and bell pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, and add chicken, 1/2 cup chicken stock, and all but 1/2 cup of salsa verde. Stir and simmer while making cheese sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cooking and stirring continuously, for about 3 minutes, then stir in 2 cups chicken stock. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 cup of cheese, salt to taste, and add white pepper (if desired).

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Spoon two heaping spoonfuls of chicken mixture into a flour tortilla, roll up, and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, and pour cheese sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cup of shredded cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Serve with sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo. Enjoy!