Chicken Souvlaki Bowls

If you’ve been following along, you know that I love my warm chicken salad with cucumbers, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and a lemon garlic Greek dressing. And you also know that I love delicious meals turned into bowls. This is absolutely no exception. I can’t say it was a kid favorite, but it was certainly a new favorite of mine. It’s fresh and clean but also has deep delicious flavors and of course, warmth. I hope you make it soon. Enjoy! And if you haven’t yet, go out and buy Cassy Joy Garcia’s ‘Cook Once, Eat All Week’ cookbook. I modify a few things and don't follow her planning process exactly, but I don’t mind cooking daily and really love the way she brings a meal together.

Ingredients:

For the Tzatziki sauce - this is probably my favorite part:

• 1/3 cucumber

• 3/4 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt or diary-free Greek-style yogurt

• 1 clove garlic, minced (I always use jarred garlic and it’s perfect. This is about 3/4 tsp)

• Pinch of sea salt

For the Greek dressing (divided; can be made ahead up to a week in advance)

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large or 2 small lemons)

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp dried basil

• 1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the Souvlaki Bowls:

• 3 cups cubed baked chicken breast (you can bake the day before/morning of/or just in time. It takes about 40 min if cooked at 350 with just a little olive oil and sea salt)

• Roasted red bell pepper strips (you can buy store bought or roast them yourself with 1-2 peppers)

• 3 cups cooked white rice or cauliflower rice (optional and not necessary, although the kids appreciated it)

• Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

• Romaine lettuce, chopped

• 2/3 cucumber, sliced

• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives (I recommend extra, because it’s delicious)

• Parsley for garnish if you like that - I dislike parsley so I omit it always

Instructions:

1. To make the tzatziki, peel and shred the cucumber, or until you have about 3 tablespoons. I grated mine and it was great. Roll it up in a paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze until all of the excess moisture is released from the cucumber. Place the drained cucumber in a small bowl along with yogurt, garlic and salt. Stir to combine, then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2. To make the Greek dressing: Place all the ingredients in a jar, then seal and shake to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. To roast the red peppers: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat peppers in olive oil, place in a paper bag, and roast until slightly charred. You can also do this by slicing them in half and baking on a baking sheet then broiling to finish.

4. Next, put the cubed chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, then pour in half o the dressing; reserve the other half for serving. Toss t coat the chicken with the dressing. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to brown the chicken and reduce the liquid.

5. Add the roasted red peppers to the skillet and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the peppers are warmed and the chicken is browned, then remove from heat. If you roasted your peppers yourself and they’re warm, you can omit this step.

6. Reheat rice if necessary and if included in your plan.

7. To assemble the bowls, divide the lettuce evenly between the bowls, then top evenly with rice, chicken and peppers, cucumber slices, tomatoes, and olives. Drizzle with the remaining Greek dressing and serve with a dollop of tzatziki.