Roasted Lemon Chicken over Garlicky Greens & Rice with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

This full-flavored weeknight dish was healthy and delicious. The yogurt sauce was an essential element for my family. Any combination of greens could be used in this dish- I used the ingredients that had just arrived in my CSA box. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I incorporated sautéed collard greens, bok choy, and leeks. I served the chicken and greens over brown Basmati rice drizzled with pan juices. We also had warm naan on the side. Great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

For the Chicken:

• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 7 thighs)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely grated, minced or passed through a press
• 1 T finely chopped fresh thyme and/or oregano leaves (I used 1/2 T each) (can substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano)
• large pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, cut lengthwise into 8 thin wedges

For the Garlicky Greens:

• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of collard greens, ribs removed, halved lengthwise
• 2 baby bok choy
• 1-2 leeks (I used 1 1/2 large leeks), sliced into 1/4-inch half moons and soaked
• 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• large pinch of red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 T sherry vinegar

For the Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek or other strained, thick yogurt (or substitute labneh or sour cream) (I used 2% Greek yogurt)
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated seedless cucumber, such as Persian or hothouse cucumbers
• 1 large garlic clove, finely grated, minced or passed through a press

To Serve:

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, parsley, and/or cilantro, for garnish
• brown Basmati rice, for serving
• warm flatbread, such as naan, for serving, optional

To Prep & Roast the Chicken:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. (I set my oven to convection roast.)
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with the salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, combine 4 of the grated garlic cloves, thyme and/or oregano, red-pepper flakes, and olive oil.
4. Add chicken and lemon wedges, and toss until well coated. (If you want to work ahead, you can refrigerate the chicken for up to 12 hours before roasting.) (I marinated the chicken in the refrigerator for 6 hours prior to cooking.)
5. To Prep the Greens: Cut the ribbed collards into 1/4-inch ribbons. Slice ribbons in half; set aside. Cut the leafy portion of the bok choy into 1/2-inch ribbons. Rinse and dry the collards and leafy bok choy. Cut the bok choy stems into 1/8-inch pieces, cutting larger pieces in half to make relatively equal-sized pieces. Soak separately from the leafy greens to clean; rinse, dry, and set aside.
6. Arrange chicken and lemons on a parchment paper-lined, rimmed sheet pan in a single layer.
7. Roast until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes in a convection oven, or up to 27 to 35 minutes in a standard oven. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
8. After placing the chicken in the oven, cook the rice, the greens, and make the sauce. (see below)

To Cook the Garlicky Greens:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high. Add the soaked and strained leeks, sliced garlic, and chopped bok choy stems. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the washed leafy greens, 1 to 2 handfuls at a time, and stir until wilted. Continue until all of the greens have been added to the pan. Cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Season with the sherry vinegar as well as salt and pepper, to taste.

To Make the Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce:

1. Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber and clove of minced garlic in a small bowl.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To Serve:

1. Layer the sautéed greens over the rice on a platter or other serving dish.
2. Top with the roasted chicken. Squeeze roasted lemon wedges all over chicken, and sprinkle with mint/parsley/cilantro and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.
3. Drizzle some of the accumulated pan juices over the top of everything.
4. Serve chicken accompanied by cucumber-yogurt sauce and warm flatbread.

Grilled Za’atar Chicken Thighs & Tomatoes with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

My husband made this full-flavored grilled chicken for my birthday dinner. One of our favorite grilled chicken marinades is yogurt-based. It truly results in the most juicy and flavorful meat. Because yogurt is more gentle than vinegar or lemon juice used in other marinades, the marinating time can be extended without altering the texture of the meat. Making the marinade a day in advance is perfect when activities are planned for the day of the meal and there is little time to spend in the kitchen.

Much of my birthday celebration was focused on food- no surprise. 🙂 My first surprise was a very special breakfast pastry delivery from Dominique Ansel in NYC. (I am a huge fan!) So beautiful, I had to take a few photos.

If that wasn’t enough, we enjoyed the beautiful weather by going out to lunch at a favorite outdoor spot. Lovely.

We ate this grilled chicken over rice for dinner. This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. The original recipe suggests serving it with pita and cucumber-tomato salad. I loved it with grilled tomatoes. We also had warm naan on the side.

My daughter and I made Strawberry Crumb Cake for our celebratory dessert. We ate it warm with vanilla ice cream. ❤

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, pressed, or minced
• 2 lemons, zested
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the tomatoes and for serving
• 1 1/2 tablespoons za’atar, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, plus more sprigs for garnish
• 1 3/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 8)
• 8 to 10 Campari tomatoes
• pita, rice, or naan, for serving, as desired

1. In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za’atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. When ready to cook, light the grill to medium (or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source).
3. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through. Using an instant-read thermometer, the meat should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
4. Brush the Campari tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Thread onto skewers. Grill until heated through, slightly charred, and soft.
5. While the chicken and tomatoes are cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).
7. To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. (We served it over Basmati rice and drizzled it with the juices accumulated after removing the chicken from the grill.)
8. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

Chicken-Spinach Burgers with Feta & Tzatziki

These Greek-inspired chicken burgers were juicy and flavor-packed. They were relatively healthy too! We ate them on Memorial Day with corn and potato salad on the side. Delicious.

This recipe was loosely adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Sue Li. I used freshly ground chicken thighs, added feta, and modified the proportions and method. The original recipe notes that in order to keep the burgers moist, it is important that the meat isn’t packed too tightly. I think that the exorbitant amount of spinach also kept the burgers moist.

Yield: 7 to 8 burgers

For the Burgers:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (can substitute ground turkey)
• 4 cups baby spinach, long and/or thick stems removed, chiffonade
• 4 large or 6 small scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped, finely grated, or pushed through a garlic press
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 5-6 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 T panko breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil and/or cooking oil spray, for grill
• 8 potato rolls, split, lightly toasted (if desired), for serving
• sliced red onion, tomato, and/or avocado, for topping, as desired
• tzatziki sauce, for topping (see below)

For the Tzatziki:

• 1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• dash cumin
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or pushed through a garlic press
• 1/4 cup grated English cucumber, squeezed dry (I used the small holes of a box grater)
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used the juice of half of a Meyer lemon)
• fresh dill or parsley, minced, to taste

To Make the Burger Patties:

1. Using a meat grinder fitted with the medium disc, grind 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. (Alternatively use 1 1/2 pounds of pre-ground chicken or turkey.) Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine cut spinach, scallions, garlic, crumbled feta, cumin, salt, pepper, egg and panko. Using a fork, mix to combine.
3. Add the ground meat; mix gently with a fork until just combined.
4. Form into 7 to 8 patties, about 1/2-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the sauce.

To Make the Tzatziki:

1. Combine all of the ingredients with a large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Refrigerate so that the flavors can develop while the burgers are cooked.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as desired. Additional lemon juice can also be added.

To Finish & Serve:

1. Coat the grill grates with vegetable oil and preheat on medium to medium-high heat.
2. Remove the meat from the refrigerator to bring the burger patties to room temperature. To prevent sticking, coat the burgers with vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray.
3. Cook the burgers until lightly browned on both sides and until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 5 minutes per side.
4. Serve the patties on rolls topped with tzatziki and sliced red onions, tomatoes, and/or avocado, as desired.

Note: Burger patties can be formed 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Kofta Sandwiches with Tomatoes & Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

These sandwiches are a great weeknight dinner. Using ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, lamb or pork makes them a little bit lighter as well.

After seeing sandwiches served in taco racks at NYC’s Chelsea Market, I used taco racks to assemble these messy sandwiches. Genius! 😉

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken and added lemon juice, garlic, and herbs to the sauce.

Yield: Serves 4

• 1.25 pounds ground turkey or chicken
• 1/2 white onion, diced small
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley and cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cucumber, diced large (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1/2 a lemon, more to taste
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 to 4 T minced fresh dill
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 handfuls of grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise or 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 4 small naan or pitas, warmed
• 1/2 cup fresh mint or cilantro, for serving
• sliced or chopped red onion, for serving, optional

1. In a large bowl, combine ground meat, diced onion, chopped parsley/cilantro, cumin and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
2. Using your hands, form mixture into 8 oval patties.
3. In a medium bowl, toss together cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and dill; season with salt and pepper. Add additional lemon juice, if desired.
4. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium to medium-high. Cook patties until browned on all sides and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. (I cooked the meatballs until the internal temperature reached 165 degrees.)
5. Divide patties and tomatoes among warm naan or pitas. (I assembled the sandwiches in taco racks.)
6. Top with cucumber-yogurt sauce and mint or cilantro. Top with red onion, if desired.
7. Fold to enclose (if not using taco racks) and serve.

Sheet Pan Meatballs with Chickpeas, Turmeric, and Lemon

This is a wonderful weeknight sheet-pan dish. It was full-flavored and relatively healthy too. I think I’m in love with crispy roasted chickpeas!

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen.com, where the dish was loosely based on a New York Times sheet-pan chicken dish that I’ve also made and posted. I increased the amount of ground turkey, and meatball seasonings, size, as well as cooking time. I also used cumin seeds instead of fennel seeds.

We ate it with warm naan, brown Basmati rice, and roasted asparagus. The lemony red onions and yogurt toppings were essential and delicious.

Yield: Serves 6

Time: about 1 hour

For the Chickpeas:

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 3/4 cup panko
• 6 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used 2% Greek yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a garlic press
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, hot paprika, or red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, flat-leaf parsley or mint leaves, or a mix thereof, plus more to garnish

To Serve:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 3/4 of a lemon)
• 7 oz (almost 1 cup) plain yogurt (I used 2% Greek yogurt)
• toasted pita wedges or naan
• harissa or another hot sauce, as desired
• brown Basmati rice, for serving, if desired

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Combine chickpeas, cumin seed, cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric and half the red onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
4. Roast for 25 minutes, until beginning to firm/crisp up. (The red onions will start to get very crispy and charred.)
5. Meanwhile, make meatball mixture. Mix all ingredients- except the ground meat- in a large bowl with a fork. Then incorporate the meat.
6. Form into 1.75-inch (about 2 T) meatballs, about 15 large meatballs. (I used 3 small cookie scoop scoops for each meatball.)
7. Remove sheet pan with chickpeas from the oven (leave oven on) and move the chickpeas to the sides of the pan, clearing a space in the center.
8. Lightly coat center with a thin coat of oil, either brush or spray it on, just to be safe. Position the meatballs in the center of the pan; I made 3 rows of 5 meatballs. Place baking sheet in oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through, about 165 degrees in the center.
9. Meanwhile, toss remaining onion slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
10. Combine yogurt with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
11. When meatballs are cooked, scatter remaining fresh herbs over the tray.
12. Serve with lemony onions and yogurt, toasted pita wedges, rice, and hot sauce, as desired.

Two Years Ago: Broken Pasta with Shredded Pork & Arugula

Three Years Ago: Indian Butter Chicken

Four Years Ago: Caramel Chicken

Five Years Ago: Chicken Teriyaki Plate and Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

Turkish-Spiced Halibut Skewers With Yogurt Sauce

Many people grill year-round, but our grill hibernates during the winter. 😦 Thankfully, it is unseasonably warm here this week (Yay!), so I am going to share a couple of belated grilling recipes.

This first recipe is an adaptation of a Turkish dish typically made with local swordfish and fresh bay leaves. This version, from David Tanis of The New York Times, uses firm-fleshed halibut with thinly sliced lemons and onions. The fish is only marinated for an hour, grilled, and served with a wonderful and fresh cucumber-yogurt sauce.

We ate the skewers with hummus, warm naan, Israeli couscous, and steamed spinach on the side. If grilling season is over for you, this dish can easily be replicated using a broiler. Great!

• 1 ½ pounds boneless halibut or other firm-fleshed fish
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 garlic clove, grated or smashed to a paste
• 8 bay leaves
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 small cucumber, about 2 ounces, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. Cut halibut into large chunks of equal size and thread onto skewers. You should have 4 kebabs weighing about 6 ounces each.
2. Lay them in a shallow dish. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. In a mixing bowl, put cumin, coriander, paprika, red pepper flakes, onion, lemon, minced garlic and bay leaves. Add olive oil and stir together.
4. Spoon mixture over fish skewers and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
5. Put yogurt in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic paste, cayenne and cucumber.
6. Mix mint, dill and parsley together, add half to yogurt mixture, and reserve the rest. Stir to combine. Set aside.
7. Heat a grill or broiler. When it is hot, cook skewers for about 2 minutes per side, until just opaque. (Leave some lemon, onion and bay leaf clinging to fish, so they char a bit.)
8. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining herb mixture, if desired. Serve with yogurt sauce on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Thai Pork Tenderloin Salad with Napa Cabbage

Two Years Ago:

• Rick Bayless’ Classic Ensenada Fish Tacos

Three Years Ago:

• Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

Four Years Ago:

• Pad See Ew

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Chile-Yogurt Sauce

One of my friends has been teasing me about my fondness for chicken thighs!  I have several chicken thigh recipes to share and was initially trying to separate them with other posts… you know, to not get teased… 😉 Well, I decided to post them all consecutively instead- as a chicken thigh “festival” of sorts! 🙂 They are so versatile and tasty. Enjoy!

This quick and simple recipe results in super moist and tender chicken. The sauce provides the spiciness, so the heat level can easily be adjusted – or omitted (gasp!)- to taste.

We ate this delicious chicken with warm naan, Turkish Bulgur and Vegetable Pilaf, as well as grilled peppers, tomatoes, and red onions on the side. This recipe was adapted from a Food and Wine kebab recipe, contributed by Jimmy Bannos, Jr. of The Purple Pig in Chicago. Great!

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika (I used Hungarian)
• 15 boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (for kebabs cut each thigh into 3 pieces)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used fat free)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• lemon slices or wedges, for serving, optional

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the olive oil with the paprika. Add the chicken and toss to coat; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, cayenne, crushed red pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper and mix well.
4. Light a grill. For kebabs: Thread 3 pieces onto each of 8 skewers. (We grilled the thighs whole.)
5. Oil the grate and grill the chicken over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and serve with the yogurt sauce and lemon wedges.

Note: The yogurt sauce can be refrigerated overnight.

One Year Ago:

• Roast Pork Tenderloin with Carrot-Pine Nut Romesco Sauce

Two Years Ago:

• Pork Tenderloin with Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette and Sautéed Spinach