Chicken Souvlaki

When I'm not creating my own recipes, I'm usually trying out other people's.  But, even when I really like someone else's recipe, chances are I'm going to play around with it and change it up to suit our tastes.  But today, I'm bringing you a recipe that I could barely mess with.  Brian and I are both big fans of chicken souvlaki and it's practically our regular order at our favorite Greek diner.  But I'd never tried making it at home.  I make the cucumber and yogurt sauce (tzatziki) all the time but wasn't sure how to approach the chicken.

Then, a while back, my friend Jen from Juanita's Cocina posted a recipe for the souvlaki and I tried it.  Love at first bite.  I made it exactly as written the first time and then tried making various adjustments over time.  Nope.  I kept going back to the original and I made it over and over and over again.

I really shouldn't be surprised at how good the recipe is because every week, Jen posts a round up of the food she made and, every week, I'm struck by how happy I'd be living in Jen's house.  Or, at least next door.  I've tried to convince her to leave her life and family in Texas and move next door to me in New York but, for some reason, she keeps resisting.  Apart from this irrational refusal though, she's pretty terrific with a wicked sense of humor along with those cooking skills.  Jen is part Jewish and part Hispanic which means she can make you a nice, healing chicken soup and then try to kill you by adding hot peppers to it.  I really love Jen.

I should mention that she calls this a gyro but, I've always known it as a souvlaki.  That could be local differences in terms but who even cares when it tastes so good.  So, have you gone over to Jen's blog yet?  Why not?  OK, first here's the recipe (I scaled it down a bit) so you can make this dish and then go see Jen for lots of other ideas.  Tell her she needs to move to New York.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
(Slightly adapted from Juanita's Cocina)
2 Chicken breasts
4 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 Cup Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine the garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, oregano and seasoning in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the chicken breasts, place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least one hour.  Then, place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 25 - 30 or until the chicken is cooked through.  Slice and serve in a pita or flatbread with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, crumbled feta cheese and a bit of Greek yogurt.  Makes approximately two servings.