bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Greek-style Barbecued Chicken

By

Greek-style barbecued chicken is a flavorful and aromatic dish that can be served during parties or when you have guests. It is best eaten with salad and polenta.

I find it easier to grill the chicken whole, but you may chop it up before marinating it if desired. You may also baste the chicken with the marinade while grilling it.

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 whole fresh chickens

2 small red onions, grated

2 bunches fresh oregano, leaves picked and chopped

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind

8 garlic cloves, crushed

2 long fresh green chili, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh oregano sprigs for serving

 

Rinse the chicken under cold running water. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Place it breast side down on a clean work surface or chopping board. With a sharp pair of kitchen scissors, cut along the sides of the backbone and remove it. Discard. Turn the chicken upside down and flatten it. Put it in a shallow dish. Repeat this with the other piece of chicken. Season it with salt and pepper.

Place the chopped oregano, onions, lemon rind, chili, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well. Spread it over the chickens. Make sure you brush the insides as well. Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to overnight.

Preheat a barbecue plate or grill. Lightly grease it with oil. Barbecue the chicken skin-side down for 10 minutes or until it is browned and a bit charred. Flip it over and cook it for another 15 minutes or until it is done.

Cut the chicken into pieces using the kitchen scissors. Transfer it to a serving platter and top with oregano sprigs before serving.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  @joefoodie

Beef Gyro

By

I have been looking for the perfect gyro recipe for the longest time, but most of them taste bland, which is why I decided to improvise and be creative. For this recipe, I decided to use yogurt as the base of the marinade. If you want it to be more authentic, you may replace the yogurt with 1/4 cup of olive oil. I also chose tzatziki, but feel free to use garlic sauce if desired.  If you are inclined to use lamb instead of beef, make sure to add twice as much lemon juice. Chicken is also a good alternative to dark meat.

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. sirloin steak

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon tahini

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

2 red onions, sliced into thin rings

24 leaves romaine lettuce, washed and dried

12 pieces pita bread

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and sliced into thin strips

2 cups Greek yogurt or unflavored yogurt

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup tzatziki for serving

 

Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, thyme and oregano in a medium sized bowl. Mix it well and season it with salt and pepper. Transfer 1/4 of the marinade to a small bowl.

Place the sirloin in the yogurt and herb mixture. Make sure that the meat is coated with the yogurt mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it overnight.

Combine the onions and the leftover marinade. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator along with the meat.

A few hours before grilling, add the onion and yogurt mixture to the marinated beef. Stir the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2-4 hours.

Grill the sirloin for 6-10 minutes, depending on the thickness, until it is tender. Turn at least once. Do not overcook. Use the marinade to baste the meat so that it doesn’t become dry.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the sliced onions from the marinade to a large serving plate. Put the tomatoes and lettuce leaves on the plate as well.

Heat the pita bread on the grill for 2-3 minutes. If you want grill marks, let it stay on the grill longer.  Place the heated pita bread on a platter or serving plate.

While heating the bread, slice the meat into thin strips and transfer it to a plate.

To assemble the gyro, put some meat on a piece of pita bread. Add some lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Top it with a tablespoon of tzatziki. Roll the pita bread or fold it to enclose the filling. Place it on a platter or individual plates. You can also serve the ingredients as is, so that you have the option to make your own gyro. Serve immediately with tzatziki.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: jeffreyw