Greek Chicken Kabobs with Veggies and Tzatziki Sauce

 

As I’m getting older, I am finding I enjoy more bold flavors. I like to taste the contrast of the acid with the savory in one bite. I also like meals I can cook on the grill outside, or at least on the indoor griddle quickly so I won’t heat the kitchen up too much. 

 

 

In an effort to hit those two desires, I started searching for kabobs. This particular recipe stemmed from a desire to try making flatbread. I mean, who doesn’t like a good adventure in the kitchen?

 

 

 

The lemon and olive oil work together to tenderize the chicken. It makes the chicken soft and juicy. Don’t skip the marinating step. It’ll be well worth your time. Also, don’t skip the tzatziki sauce. It’s so good, and so good for you. With Greek yogurt and English cucumber combined with a little fresh lemon and garlic, you will want to get pita chips to eat this. It’s that good!

 

 

When it comes to the veggies you can really pick what you like. One of the benefits of kabobs is the freedom to combine what you’d like and let others combine what they’d like. 

 

 

Don’t be afraid to make extra too. This meal re-heats really well, and can be a wonderful lunch.  Cold or warmed, the chicken continues to be juicy and delightful. Combine it with a green salad or a pasta salad for a change of meal without more work. That’s always the ultimate goal.

 

 

Greek Chicken Kabobs with Veggies and Tzatziki Sauce

 

 

Chicken:

¼ c EVOO

3 Tbs (1-2) fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs each dried oregano, ground cumin

1 tsp each paprika, salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1 c cherub or grape tomatoes

1 c mushrooms, cleaned and halved

1 c zucchini, sliced into thick slices (¼ to ½ inch)

 

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 c Plain Greek yogurt

½ c English cucumber, shredded

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

½ tsp red wine vinegar

¼ tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

1 ½ tsp (1/2 of one) fresh lemon juice

 

 

Add all the ingredients except the chicken to a bowl and mix together. Then add the chicken and mix it to completely coat the chicken. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. If you have time, allow it to marinate for up to 8 hours to enhance the flavors.

While those are marinating, make the tzatziki sauce. Mix all the ingredients together, cover, and place in the refrigerator to chill. It will taste best if it’s had a couple of hours to rest.

Heat the grill or griddle to medium-hi heat. Meanwhile, thread all the chicken onto the grilling skewers. I prefer metal as it helps ensure the inside of the chicken gets cooked through.  Once all the chicken is threaded, add the veggies to the marinade and toss before threading them onto skewers. I like them on separate skewers as they cook at different speeds than the chicken.

Once the grill is ready, add the skewers. Leave them alone for a few minutes in order to get those nice grill marks. After a few minutes, flip them over and let the other side get grill marks. After a few minutes, flip them a quarter turn to get the third side, and finally after a few minutes flip them once more to get the last side. At this point, check the chicken to see if it needs a few more minutes or if its ready. The veggies will finish at a different pace so monitor those as well.

Serve with some flatbread or a delicious Greek salad. 

Butternut Squash Soup

 

I have been trying to incorporate more veggies into my daily life. Not just as side dishes though. I want to wrap my head around veggies being more focus forward in my meals.

 

 

Soup is such a perfect vehicle for that goal, and this recipe in particular really keeps the veggies as the focus without adding a bunch of extra cream.

 

 

I love this soup as a side with roasted chicken, or as the main dish with some focaccia bread. I also really like searing beef with some seasoning and adding that to the top of the soup, or even using leftovers of other meals such as carne asada or pollo asado.

 

 

I am not naturally a soup person. I have tried a lot of different recipes that just don’t work. I find a lot of soup recipes to be one-note and I like a little surprise in my bite. The red pepper in this recipe hits that note perfectly. Don’t skip the red pepper! I promise it will pull everything together.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

 

1 butternut squash, 2.5-3 lbs, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbs EVOO

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp dried thyme

3 ½ c chicken stock, more if needed

Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

Set the oven to 400. On a jellyroll tray, place the squash, onion, and pepper. Drizzle oil on it all and toss with salt and pepper. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Once done, remove and set aside.

Add 1Tbs of EVOO to a cast iron pot (I use my le creuset). Once warmed to a medium heat, add the roasted veggies to the pot. Allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes, and then add the chicken stock. Allow the ingredients to cook for 2-3 minutes, and then use your immersion blender to blend everything together into a puree.

Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 7-10 minutes. If the soup feels too thick, add more chicken stock. Serve with bacon or sauted beef strips. You can also let it cool and store it in the freezer for a quick and healthy meal. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on the size of your bowls.

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

 

The truth behind this recipe is that I’m not a huge fan of ice cream. But this made me change my mind!

 

 

If asked whether ice cream is a year-round treat or a summer treat, I am totally a summer treat kind of gal. It just feels like it should be warm enough outside to justify it. The creamy cold treat is so satisfying in the summer.

 

 

I realized the best way to enjoy ice cream more is to start making it myself. Now I can control the ingredients and balances and ratios and hit the mark with every bite!

 

 

Of course, vanilla is just the base. There are so many things you can add to this to customize it. That’s also a big selling point for me. I like bits and bites in my ice cream, but hubby is more of a purist and would rather have the simple and pure vanilla.

 

This recipe is tailored for a Kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment. It makes the right amount for the size of the bowl. Just be aware if there’s any changes you want to make. I have used it in the Cuisenart ice cream maker too and it worked wonderfully.

 

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

 

5 large egg yolks

1 c granulated sugar, divided

2 whole vanilla beans (or you can use 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)

1 ¾ c whole milk (or use an equal blend of half and half with 2% milk)

2 ¼ c heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

 

In a bowl, combine the egg yolks with ¼ c sugar. Whisk together for about 3 minutes, it should lighten up in color and feel liquid-like. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan warm up the milk to 165. I use a candy thermometer to help as I don’t want it to boil. Split the vanilla beans and scrap them. Add that to the milk, along with the vanilla bean pods.

 

Once the milk has reached 165, pull it off the burner. Slowly pour ½ cup at a time into the egg mixture, being sure to whisk the whole time while incorporating. Continue doing this until you have about 1 ½ cups of milk added to the eggs. Then pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan. Add the rest of the sugar, salt, and the heavy cream and heat it back up to 165, stirring occasionally.

 

Have a bowl or large measuring cup ready to pour the hot mixture into and once it’s reached 165, take it off the heat. Pour it through a sieve into your bowl or large measuring cup to catch the vanilla beans and any curdles from the egg. Discard the vanilla beans and let it cool for a few minutes before covering it with plastic and placing it into the refrigerator. It needs to cool completely before it can be made into ice cream, so at least 12 hours, but best to let it chill over night. Also, if you haven’t already, make sure your ice cream maker bowl is in the freezer. It will need at least 24 hours in there for it to be ready for use.

 

I use a Kitchenaid mixer for my ice cream maker so the following directions are based off of that. The timing should be similar on most ice cream makers, but be familiar with your equipment when reaching this step.

 

Set the frozen ice cream bowl on the mixing stand. Set up the paddle and connection pieces and turn on the machine to the low setting (no more than a 2). Slowly pour the custard into the ice cream maker while it’s on. Make sure to get all the vanilla bean spreckles into the mixer. Let it do its work for about 20-30 minutes. You’ll see the ice cream start to fluff up and become more full. 

 

 

Your ice cream is ready when it starts to work its way up the mixing bowl and look creamy and fluffy. The Kitchenaid connection piece also starts to click which is a sign its done. The ice cream will resemble a soft serve at this point. Remove the ice cream from the mixing bowl into a freezer safe container using a plastic spatula or a wooden spoon (don’t use metal as it can damage the bowl). Put the ice cream in the freezer once more. The ice cream will become firmer in the freezer. It only needs a couple of hours and it is ready to enjoy.