A Month-of-Mediterranean: Souvlaki and Spinach Salad

Here’s a very heart-healthy and easy to fix dinner for you. This dinner also has the advantage of not only using up some of those leftovers in an interesting way, but the remaining ingredients are likely on your pantry and refrigerator shelves.

Souvlaki is a Mediterranean region staple that made its way to this continent and was an instant hit. Real souvlaki is a Greek fast food. Meat is grilled on a skewer and usually eaten right off the stick with tzatziki, but sometimes it is tucked into pita (gyro) and eaten sandwich-style, like we’re doing today. I am also using leftover game hen meat, so I am not cooking this on a skewer. Thus easier to prepare, but it won’t have the grilled flavor of traditional souvlaki.

Of course, if you want a different taste, you could skewer your meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb), season with Greek Seasoning by McCormick, and grill it if you have the time.

Easy Chicken Souvlaki (serves 2)

1 cup leftover cooked chicken, cut in chunks or shredded

2 teaspoons Greek Seasoning by McCormick

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ small cucumber, grated

1 tablespoon dried dill

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 small tomato, diced

2 pita bread halves

Toss the chicken pieces with Greek Seasoning and set aside for an hour.

In small bowl mix together the yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic powder, and lemon juice. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to eat, divide chicken between pita halves and add ½ of tomato to each pita. Top with cucumber sauce (a kind of tzatziki).

Spinach-Quinoa-Bean Salad (serves 2)

2 cups baby spinach (or arugula if preferred)

1 cup beans (black, cannellini, white, pinto)

1½ cups leftover cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

Put 1 cup of spinach in each of two bowls. Drizzle dressing on top.

Warm up beans and cooked quinoa. Put quinoa on top of spinach. Top the quinoa with beans.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up for the salad; 3 Tongues Up for the Souvlaki

“That was really good salad.” Pause. “And the souvlaki?” “That was cucumber, right? I just don’t like cucumber.” FYI, despite his comments the souvlaki with tzatziki was delicious! I keep trying him with cucumber and he just won’t change his mind!