This summer, the Furman Employee Wellness Program sponsored two healthy cooking workshops for employees and families. The second workshop featured easy Make Ahead Meals that could be used for brown bag lunches or quick meals when you are short on time. It was led by Lori Nelsen (Furman Earth and Environmental Sciences) and Kelly Frazier (Furman Health Sciences). Because we shared so many recipes for this workshop, I’ll be posting them in three separate posts.
First up was one of Lori’s show stopper recipes for Chicken Shawarma with a Fresh Heirloom Tomato Greek Salad served in Whole Grain Pita. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy name, it is really simple for the home cook.
Chicken Shawarma with a Fresh Heirloom Tomato Greek Salad and Whole Grain Pita
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern sandwich of marinated meat that is usually stuffed into a pita with fresh toppings like hummus, tahini, or cucumbers. Typically, the marinade has an intricate blend of seasonings and the meat is slow cooked all day. Lori’s genius version is so simple because it is baked in the oven.
Oven Baked Chicken Shawarma
(Inspired by Chicken Shawarma Deluxe, No Rotisserie Required)
Prepare marinade for the chicken by combining in a glass or plastic bowl: the juice of 2 lemons, ½ cup of olive oil, 6 cloves of fresh garlic (minced), 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp paprika, ½ tsp turmeric, a pinch of ground cinnamon, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; whisk together.
Add 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, toss to combine well, cover, and marinate in the refrigerate for 1-12 hours. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Cut a large red onion into 1 inch chunks, add to the marinade and toss well to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade with a slotted spoon and transfer to the baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and slice the chicken into bite sized pieces. Top with chopped fresh parsley.
Heirloom Tomato Greek Salad
Heirloom tomatoes are treasured by local farmers for their unbelievable flavor and unique colors and shapes. Look for them at your local farmer’s market. If you can’t find them, substitute local tomatoes.
Combine chopped fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta, olives, a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar (balsamic or red wine), salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Toss to combine.
To serve the Chicken Shawarma, open a whole grain pita half and spoon in the chicken mixture. Top with the Greek Salad and a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt and/ or hummus. Garnish with fresh parsley.