Mediterranean Chicken Sandwiches

I like to have this chicken mixture on hand in the fridge to throw a sandwich together for a quick lunch.  If you don’t have dried mint, dried basil works well as a substitute.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup sweet onion, diced

3/4 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried mint flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Whole Wheat Pita Bread

6 lettuce leaves

Cut chicken into one inch pieces.  In a nonstick skillet, cook for 5 minutes or until no longer pink.  Remove from skillet; cool.

In a bowl, combine the chicken, tomatoes, cucumber and onion.  Drizzle with vinegar and oil.  Add spices and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.  

Cut pita bread into halves.  Line halves with lettuce and fill with chicken mixture using slotted spoon.

Nutrition Facts from Calorie Count

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 181 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  240 Calories from Fat  55

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  6.1g 9%

Saturated Fat  1.3g 7%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  64mg 21%

Sodium  275mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates  18.2g 6%

Dietary Fiber  3.4g 13%

Sugars  1.8g

Protein  27.6g

Vitamin A 8% • Vitamin C 11% Calcium 3% • Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Grilled Beef Gyros

This is a recipe that I had neglected for far too long. I made them the other night for the first time in a few years and they were just as good as I had remembered. I still have some of the cucumber sauce in the fridge and I’m putting it on everything. Yum. I actually used plain yogurt that I had set in a strainer to drain the liquid out in place of the sour cream.

1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1-1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2-3 pounds boneless sirloin, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Cucumber Sauce:
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream

8-10 pita breads, warmed and halved
Thinly sliced onion
Chopped tomato

In a blender of food processor, place the onion, garlic, sugar mustard, ginger, pepper and cayenne; cover and process until onion is finely chopped. Add soy sauce and water; process until blended. Place the beef in a large Ziploc bag. Add marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

For sauce, combine the cucumber, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor; cover and process until cucumber is chopped. Add vinegar and oil; process until blended. Transfer to a bowl; stir in sour cream. Refrigerate until serving.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill beef, covered, over medium-hot heat until meat reaches desired doneness. Place beef in pita halves. Top with cucumber sauce, sliced onion and chopped tomato. Refrigerate any remaining sauce.