Meg Goes Nom Nom

Any other shawarma fans out there!? I am a huge fan of this Middle Eastern-style of meat preparation, involving lots of bold seasonings. Traditionally, preparing shawarma involves grilling giant blocks of meat and shaving slices off for individual slices. For most of us, grilling giant slabs of meat on a spit for several hours probably isn’t practical. Luckily, Cooking Light has created this delicious recipe that allows one to enjoy shawarma at home much more easily.

First, I mixed together the above marinade, and tossed one pound thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves in it.

Next, I sautéed the chicken in a skillet for several minutes over medium-high heat. The spicy marinade had a bold aroma – so enticing!

Meanwhile, I mixed together a tangy yogurt sauce for the shawarma, consisting of plain Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, and hummus (substituted for tahini).

Across the center of each tortilla (or pita – your choice!), I smeared a hefty dollop of the tangy yogurt spread.

Chicken was the next layer in my chicken shawarma wrap.

And, for some lovely color and fresh crunch, the final element consisted of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion.

Pitas would be a more traditional shawarma vehicle, but I am a huge fan of these low-carb whole wheat tortillas.

I found sweet, juicy grapes to be the perfect accompaniment for these bold, spicy, and savory shawarma wraps.

I couldn’t believe how flavorful the chicken shawarma mixture was! I absolutely loved these healthy Chicken Shawarma wraps and highly recommend the recipe.

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Spicy Chicken Shawarma

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 5 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tahini (or hummus)
• 4 halved pitas, or tortillas
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini (or hummus), stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons yogurt mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with cucumber, tomato, and onion.

Yield: 4 servings

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My Rating: 8.4/10

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For another variation on this tasty dish, check out my previous post featuring Dede Med’s version of Chicken Shawarma.

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