Chicken Gyro Salad

You know what's awesome? Figuring out how to connect your computer to your TV so you can watch the last season of Doctor Who from iTunes. Even more awesome? Using that connection to play Bollywood music videos on your TV for your boys all morning! We've been having a gleeful Bollywood dance party! Speaking of which, I need to have another Bollywood night... too bad most of my friends are on vacation! Maybe I can pull one together with whoever is still around... it's not for everyone, that's for sure! But I usually manage to find a friend or two to convert. :)

Sometimes I come up with new recipes, follow others exactly, tweak them a bit, but this is the first time I've re-used one! Remember those awesome Chicken Gyros from a few months ago? When we started trying to eat a little healthier around here, we turned it into a salad! And it was a HUGE hit! By far the boys's favorite salad of all time. They were even excited! And guess what, it's totally healthy!

Chicken Gyro Salad (inspired by Half-Baked Harvest)
Printable Recipe

Chicken:

4 cloves garlic, smashed
juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
3 Tb extra virgin olive oil
3 Tb plain Greek yogurt (I used 2 %)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried dill
Salt and pepper
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless chicken, trimmed cut into thick strips/chunks (we had 2-3 pieces per chicken breast)

Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain Greek yogurt (I used the rest of that 2%)
1/2 English cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded and diced small
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed (or finely minced)
1 Tb white wine vinegar
1 tsp, dried dill
1 tsp dried oregano
half a fresh lemon, juiced
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil

lettuce (romaine, mixed greens, red or green leaf, we liked a mix of many types!)

tomatoes

cucumbers

red onions

feta cheese

olives

other favorite salad fixings!

Chicken first! Combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Greek yogurt, oregano, dill, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. (I estimated about 3/4-1 tsp of salt) Whisk together until smooth. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour or overnight. (Or you can combine it all in a ziplock bag)

Next, the Tzatziki! First, pour any liquid off the surface of the Greek yogurt. (Full fat or 2% work best, nonfat is a bit thin) Combine the cucumbers, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then put them in a wire mesh strainer over a small bowl. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This helps get rid of extra water in the cucumbers that can make your sauce watery. Mix together the yogurt, marinated and drained cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, dill, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and another drizzle of lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

When you're ready to cook, preheat your broiler. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on the baking pan and broil the chicken for 10 minutes until cooked through.

Let the chicken rest about 5-8 minutes, then slice up into smaller pieces. Pour the remaining marinade in a medium size skillet and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and then toss the cooked chicken with the sauce.

Place a bed of lettuce on your plate. Top with salad fixings, chicken, feta, and dollops of tzatziki!

No oily salad dressing, just healthy Greek yogurt! Tons of flavor, and you can serve pita pieces on the side, or skip them! You could also bake them for a little white and turn them into croutons. We told the boys that the more colorful your salad is, the better it is for you, and they've been using that to judge our meals ever since!

It may seem like a lot of work just for a salad, but really, this salad is very filling! A whole meal! And leftovers are just as good! Of course, you want to refrigerate the sauce, chicken, and lettuce separately. Or you'll be left with a soggy pile of wilted veggies. Ew. 

A serious hit around here. If we ever opened a restaurant, this would be our star salad!

What's your favorite salad in the whole world??

Shared at Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits