Lemon Dill Chicken

I love lemon anything.  I recently discovered lemon custard ice cream at Baskin Robbins and let me tell you, it is heaven.  I keep lemons in my refrigerator at all times, in case I get a hankering for something tart.  This time around I decided to try a Greek-inspired recipe I found online at EatingWell.com.  We're taking lemon chicken to another level by adding dill, garlic, and onions.  It's light, healthy, full of flavor, and perfect for spring.

LEMON DILL CHICKEN
adapted from EatingWell.com

1 - 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, trimmed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp. dried dill (or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped)
1 Tbsp. corn starch
salt & pepper, to taste

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, lemon juice, onion, garlic, dill, and corn starch.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat; add chicken and brown on both sides (you do not need to cook it through).  Transfer chicken to a plate and reduce heat to medium; stir in broth mixture.  Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Return chicken (and any juices) to skillet and cook for another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.  Sprinkle with a little more dill for garnish, if desired.

Creamy Greek Salsa

So... I am in love with this concoction.  I got the idea from this recipe on Kuntal's Kitchen.  I saw the photo on Pinterest and thought, "Greek salsa!"  But, no, it's actually a cucumber version of everyone's favorite southwest appetizer.  I did use it as a starting point to make the recipe shared here.  I wanted something similar to a Greek salad, but in appetizer form, and can I just say this stuff is addicting?  And actually GOOD for you?!  It's great served with tortilla or pita chips, but I like it with these:

Tostitos now has multigrain scoops!  Now I'm not stupid enough to think these are a health food, but they can't be any worse than regular tortilla chips.  And I like their flavor.  And they are perfect for scooping up the Creamy Greek Salsa!  (No, I'm not being paid to advertise - but I'd like to be!)

If you like Greek, check out Chicken or Pork Souvlaki with Tzatziki or this Seven Layer Greek Dip.

CREAMY GREEK SALSA
adapted from Crisp Cucumber Salsa on Kuntal's Kitchen

2 cucumbers; peeled, seeded, and diced
3-4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion or sliced green onion
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
heaping 1/4 tsp. dried dill (or 1 tsp. fresh dill)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
tortilla or pita chips

In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and feta cheese.  In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream or yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, pepper, and salt; fold into cucumber mixture.  Serve with tortilla or pita chips.  Makes about 4 cups.

Greek Salad

I forgot we were out of olives when I made this, so this photo is not fully representative of the salad. But you can use your imagination. You don't have to serve it on lettuce, but that helps stretch it out a little further.

GREEK SALAD
adapted from Allrecipes.com

3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (or red onion)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata or black olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 (10 oz) package Romaine salad, optional

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper to taste

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or container and let stand 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and olives (if using). Pour dressing over and stir to coat.

In a large, shallow salad bowl, spread Romaine evenly in bottom. Top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese. (Or you can just toss it all together in a large bowl.)

Pork or Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki

My mom bought my dad some Greek and Indian cooking lessons for his birthday one year. (He's one of those rare men that enjoys cooking and does it well.) So now we look forward to his Greek dinners with anticipation. But he lives on the other side of the country from me so I finally caved and decided to learn how to make some things myself.

If you frequent Greek restaurants or gyro shops, you are probably familiar with souvlaki and tzatziki. Souvlaki is traditionally made with lamb or pork but can also be make with chicken and is essentially a marinated and grilled meat. You can serve it in a pita with lettuce and tomato gyro-style or on it's own. It's best served with the complimentary tzatziki which is essentially a yogurt and cucumber mixture that is either flavored with dill or mint. I like dill best. Tzatziki is also a great dip for pita crisps or vegetables.

You'll need plain Greek yogurt, which is thicker and a different consistency from regular American yogurt. Luckily it's become more popular and is not hard to find. Here is what I used:
These 5.3 oz containers run about $1 a piece at Walmart and you'll need about 3 1/2 to make this recipe. Or maybe you'll get lucky and find a bigger container at your grocery store. The shredded cucumbers give it some crunch, but if you want your tzatziki sauce more smooth, pulse it in a food processor or blender.

SOUVLAKI
marinade adapted from Emeril Lagasse's on FoodNetwork

2-3 pounds boneless pork loin or b/s chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc bag and marinate 3-4 hours or overnight.

If grilling: Soak wooden skewers in water for 1 hour. Preheat grill to med-high heat. Thread cubes onto skewers and grill for 10-12 minutes for pork or 8-10 minutes for chicken, turning occasionally.

If sauteing: Heat large skillet over med-high heat. Saute in 2-3 batches (to ensure even cooking) for 8-10 minutes for pork or 6-8 minutes for chicken.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

2 cups Greek yogurt
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and shredded
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/8 tsp. salt (kosher salt is best)
1 tsp. dried dill weed (or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill)*

Place shredded cucumber in a strainer and squeeze out excess water with your hands. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and dill. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours to let flavors mingle.

*Some people prefer mint over dill in their tzatziki. You can substitute 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint for the dill.

7-Layer Greek Dip

Okay, for all you sugar haters out there (just kidding - who could hate sugar?) here is a healthy and flavorful recipe. I'm borrowing it from, where else?, Our Best Bites. I made it for New Year's Eve and accidentally bought Kalamata olives that were marinated in something spicy (stupid Fry's deli needs to fix their labels) so it had a little kick to it but it was still really good. I made it again this weekend since I still had so many of the ingredients on hand.

You can use store-bought hummus (you'll most likely find it in the deli section as well as the Kalamata olives) or there is a great recipe to make your own here. I've bought Stacy's brand pita chips to serve with it, but crackers are great too.

7-LAYER GREEK DIP
from Our Best Bites

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened (low fat is fine)
1 tsp. dill weed or Greek Seasoning (I actually use about 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. of both)
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups hummus
1 cup seeded, diced cucumbers
1 cup seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/8 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese with dill and/or Greek seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or shallow serving dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. Then, in order, sprinkle evenly with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta*, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with pita chips, crackers, or fresh veggies.

*I also like to sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper on top, before the parsley.