It's Greek To Me

Greek chicken salad
(see recipe below)

Our lake weekend included both torrential rain and glorious sunshine. We have enjoyed having a nearby spot to get away when "getting away" as we used to know it isn't happening. We did make a short road trip, though, to a place as socially distant as it's possible to be. We left early and drove an hour to visit a historic cemetery where some of the graves pre-date the Revolutionary War. It's where my great-grandparents were laid to rest nearly 100 years ago. The cemetery is located down a dirt road, in a patch of woods, near a town that faded away a long time ago. There are a few buildings left to remind us that it was a strong community way back when. Thank goodness for GPS. I thought I could remember how to get there, but it had been too long.

And then we were back at the lake house before lunch. I pulled out the leftovers from the night before and made Greek chicken salads. (See photo at the top.) I have craved different flavors as we continue our only-eat-at-home lifestyle. Flavors that we would normally have in restaurants. And I'm always on the lookout for easy recipes. This weekend meal is a keeper. Sadly, when I ordered my groceries this week for pickup, they were out of pita bread. That would have made this perfect. We made do with sandwich thins which tasted fine—but the tomatoes kept falling out!

GREEK CHICKEN

1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon Greek seasoning, such as Cavender's

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I used a good squeeze)

another tablespoon of olive oil for frying

15-30 minutes before cooking, mix chicken, Greek seasoning, 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice and let marinade in the refrigerator while you prep the rest of the meal.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add chicken in a single layer. Let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Don't stir, so that it will brown. Turn chicken pieces over and brown the other side. (It's done when internal temp is 165º.) Serve hot.

And Greek chicken requires tzatziki sauce to go with it. I wish I had known how easy this is to make at home years ago. I will say that I started with a simple recipe and tweaked it a couple of times after we starting eating supper—added more garlic, tasted, then stirred in a little vinegar and a splash of olive oil.  The original, of course, used regular yogurt. I had fat-free Greek yogurt on had and I think that's why I needed to make adjustments. Trust your own tastebuds. Here is what I ended up with:

EASY TZATZIKI SAUCE

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 medium to large cucumber, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/2  teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinega/r

1/2 - 1 teaspoon olive oil (I just used a "drizzle")

Grate cucumber into colander and press to remove liquid. Press with paper towel to remove the remaining liquid. This will keep the sauce from being watery. In a bowl, stir together with remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Will keep 2-4 days in refrigerator. 

It was also good as a dip with crackers the next day.