Firing up the Grill!

Spring is in the air, and right around the corner, the long, lazy days of summer. Ever since the end of the Urban Produce Box deliveries, I’ve been counting down the days until summer is back in full tilt and I can once again cook with the finest produce around! Until then, I have to make do with what I can find at the Harris Teeter.

I was recently inspired by a recipe for Middle Eastern Chicken Sandwiches on Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Middle-Eastern-Grilled-Chicken-Pita-Sandwiches-with-Yogurt-Mint-Sauce-12158

My kids tend to make a mess with any sandwich bigger than a grilled cheese, so I decided to ‘deconstruct’ the elements and serve it the way my mom used to when I was growing up.

I marinated the chicken as described for most of the day. I also went ahead and whipped up some dough so I could grill my own flatbread, way cheaper (and tastier) than buying a pack of pita bread. I made a cucumber and tomato salad, and the yogurt sauce as written in the recipe. I liked the idea of carmelized onions, but didn’t want to add the tomato, as I already used some in my salad. So I made a pot of Basmati rice and then topped that with my carmelized onions.

The whole thing came together beautifully. As usual, Josh had two helpings and Erin ate her rice. I will definitely be making this again in the summer when the tomatoes are actually in season. I think next time I’ll marinate a whole, butterflied chicken and grill that. The rice and onion combination was definitely a winner!