Chicken Souvlakia and Makaronosalata me Kotopoulo (Pasta Salad with Chicken)

Souvlaki (plural souvlakia), is attested in Greece since antiquity and it was known with the name ????????? (obeliskos), dim. of ?????? (obelos), “spit”, mentioned amongst others in the works of Aristophanes (”Acharnians” 1007, “Clouds” 178, “Wasps” 354, “Birds” 388, 672), Xenophon (”Hellenica” HG3.3.7), Aristotle (”Politics” 1324b19), etc. A meat and bread recipe which resembles the way pita souvlaki is served today, with pita bread was also attested by Athenaeus in The Deipnosophists and called the plate kandaulos. However it is likely that the skewed meat, souvlaki-like recipe has existed as a favourite in ancient Greece since at least Archaic times, as the earliest references are attested in Homer.

Source:   Wikipedia

In Athens living in an apartment is not easy to barbecue because we do not have the space to do this often.  I do have a barbecue but whenever I use it the house is full of smoke, so I avoid using it.  Instead I use a sauteing pan to make souvlakia and they come out very tender and tasty.

I have made them many times and the basic ingredients I always use is salt, pepper and oregano.  Some times I marinate the meat with salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil and lemon juice.  Other times I marinate them in a yoghurt sauce and other times depending on what ingredients I have at home I add bell peppers, onion and mushrooms and make shish kebabs.

I serve them with tzatziki and a Greek salad with some Greek pita or stuff them in a Cypriot pita and serve them with tomato, cucumber, parsley and lemon juice.

Chicken Souvlakia ? Recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 - 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1

Chicken breast

Salt, freshly ground black pepper, oregano

½

Bell Pepper (each colour red, green, yellow), cut into chunks

1

Medium

Red Onion, cut into wedges

2

Button Mushrooms, quartered

1

Tbsp

Olive oil

1

Lemon

Pita Bread

Marinated Chicken

1

Chicken breast

Salt, freshly ground black pepper, oregano

½

Cup

Greek Yoghurt

1

Tbsp

Mustard

1

Clove

Garlic, minced

Directions:

1.

Soak bamboo skewers in water for an hour.

2.

Wash chicken breast, remove skin and bones, cut into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper and oregano.

3.

Cut bell pepper, onion and mushroom in pieces.

4.

Thread the chicken, bell peppers, mushroom and onion alternately on bamboo skewers.

5.

Heat the olive oil in a sautéing pan, over high heat.

6.

Sauté the chicken turning with a tongs until chicken is cooked through.

7.

Remove chicken and put the pita in the sautéing pan to warm them up.  Serve souvlakia with lemon juice.

8.

For marinated chicken souvlakia, mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for an hour before cooking, as above.

In the collage I have a picture of grilled chicken, which was seasoned with only salt, pepper and oregano.  I grilled the chicken on Friday and served it with a Greek salad.  We had some leftover chicken, so yesterday I used it to make a pasta salad.

It makes a very light and filling meal.

Pasta Salad with Chicken ? Recipe by Ivy

Preparation: 20 Minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

½

Leftover

Grilled chicken breast

250

grams

Pasta shells

2

Small

Cucumbers, with the skin on

1

Big

Tomato (I peel the skin)

½

Lettuce, cut by hand

2

Carrots, shaved with potato peeler

¼

Cup

Yoghurt 2%

¼

Cup

Mayonnaise, low fat

1

Clove

Garlic

½

Tsp .

Salt

1

Tsp

Mustard (mild)

Freshly grated black pepper

Directions:

1.

Boil pasta according to package instructions, about 15 minutes, add cold water until they cool and drain.

2.

Cut the chicken in bite sizes (without the skin)

3.

Cut the tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce and shred the carrots.

4.

Season with salt and pepper.

5.

In the food processor add the garlic, yoghurt, mayonnaise and mustard and make the dressing.

6.

Mix all the dressing in the salad.

7.

Serve cold.

Other related posts:

Souvlakia

Pasta salad with mushrooms and octopus in yoghurt sauce

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