Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki - It's All Greek to Me!

Grilled lemony, garlicy chicken with a refreshing Tzatziki sauce and a simple salad, makes a cool summer supper.

Tzatziki Sauce

2 cup good quality plain yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated

Salt and Pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Put the yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth, coffee filter or paper towel and set it over a bowl.  Let drain in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine cucumber with 1 tsp. salt; let sit for about 15 minutes.

Squeeze the excess liquid out of the cucumbers.

Return to bowl and add drained yogurt, garlic, fresh dill and salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken and Marinade

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp. dried oregano

Marinate chicken with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and oregano.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Heat grill to medium heat.  Thread chicken onto bamboo skewers which have been soaked for 1 hour.  I found that no matter how long you soak bamboo skewers, they always seem to burn.

Set up your grill with a piece of foil to protect the ends of the skewers.

Cut lemon in half and squeeze onto chicken while grilling.

Keep the lemon on the grill - the heat makes the lemon soft and you can squeeze about 50% more juice!! 

 Souvlaki is traditionally served with pita bread.

Lightly butter pita and warm on the grill.

For the salad combine 3 Roma tomatoes diced, 1/2 red onion diced, 1/2 cucumber, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 lemon juiced, salt and pepper and 1/3 cup black Kalamata olives.  Top with Feta Cheese. 

~Adapted from Food and Wine