Happy Memorial Day!! Hope y’all are enjoying the long weekend with loved ones. It’s been raining with severe thunderstorms these past couple of days here in Austin so I imagine most of us will be taking the grilling inside. If anyone were to ask me what my favorite cuisine is, I’d immediately spit out “Mediterranean!” Yes, I do unattractive things when I get excited. But to tell you the truth, I’m all mixed up when it comes to differentiating the foods that I’ve come to love so much as Mediterranean vs. Middle Eastern. So, to clarify, I love tabouleh, baba ghanoush, hummus, kebabs, gyros, doners, shawarmas, etc. And what is the difference between gyros, doners, and shawarmas? I apologize for my ignorance. Despite all this confusion, what I know for certain is that my palate LOVES these two cuisines. It doesn’t help that I have an obsession with pita bread and would gladly dip or wrap anything and everything in it. The inspiration for today’s recipe comes from our recent trip to San Diego. Vacations are necessary not only for relaxation (some more so than others) and recharging, but they’re also a great way to gain some kitchen inspiration. I seriously had the BEST falafel and doners at The Kebab Shop in San Diego (even named my panda stuffed animal from the zoo, “Falafel”), and my determination to recreate the fare followed me back home. And my dear husband, if you are reading this, I’m still waiting for my vertical meat spit.. #inmydreams.
After several attempts at getting the combination and ratio of spices just right, I finally landed on one that I’m pleased with. I suggest you slice the chicken breasts before marinating so that each piece gets nicely coated. Not to mention, it will reduce cooking time. If you want to cook 1/2 of the chicken and freeze the rest, feel free to do so. Simply freeze the uncooked chicken with its marinade.
[Tweet “Quick and Easy Grilled Chicken Shawarma @mjandhungryman #makeahead”] For the full recipe, head on over to the Healthy Aperture Blog where I contribute monthly to the “Make Ahead meals” column.
