At work I am part of a Lunch Swap group with some friends. We got the idea from Bon Appetit magazine a couple months ago when they did an article on it. Essentially we choose a week in the month and each person is assigned to a day. It works out because you are then only cooking one day, but still get lunches the rest of the week! We were all guilty of getting stuck to our desks at lunch time, so it’s nice to break away and chat with friends for a bit.

There are no real rules, we just bring enough food for everyone. Our group likes to eat, so it’s somewhat of an unwritten rule to bring enough for seconds. Meals can be as simple or as complex as you want. I think the one big thing to take note of is if anyone had any food allergy/sensitivity or didn’t like a certain type of food.

If you’re interested in starting your own Lunch Swap group, check out the article here!

This was our second go around and I cooked chicken souvlaki with lemon garlic wild rice, veggies, naan and tzatziki for everyone. I love making this because it’s easy to make and packed. If you’re in the mood for Greek/Mediterranean flavors, definitely give this a try. Traditionally, I think it’s done on skewers, but I like to make it using boneless/skinless chicken thighs! But please, feel free to use chicken breasts and even make skewers if that’s what you prefer.

The marinade is key and luckily it’s simple to put together. I like to use a Greek or Mediterranean seasoning mix in addition to dried oregano, chopped garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, touch of salt/pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You’re looking for something close to a paste-like consistency. It doesn’t have to be exact, but as thick as you can get it is good. If it looks a little too thin, add a little bit more of the seasoning/dried oregano. I like to let the marinade sit for about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.

While the marinade is sitting, go ahead and prep your chicken by drying each piece off with a paper towel. Put the chicken in a big bowl or baking dish and dump the marinade on top. Now it’s time to get your hands dirty! (From the picture above, you can obviously see I didn’t even follow my own instructions. 😛 Can you blame me? I was trying to save a bowl!)

Rub the marinade in niiiice and good. You want to make sure every piece of chicken is very well covered. Cover it well with saran wrap and stick the container in your refrigerator to let the chicken get all happy! Ideally, I would let the chicken marinate overnight, but if I’m making it the same day, I give it at least two hours. If you’re in a time crunch, let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Prep your grill and let the chicken come to room temperature prior to cooking. You don’t have to grill the chicken…but look how goooood it looks! Plus, you have a good reason to enjoy a nice refreshing beverage of your choice.

No grill on hand? Not a problem! If you have a grill pan, that works just as fine. You can easily bake the chicken in the oven if that’s your only option.

I like to serve the chicken with rice pilaf, veggies, tzatziki and naan. You can make gyros with it, throw the chicken on a salad, whatever you want! If you need a change in your chicken game, give this recipe a shot.

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Chicken Souvlaki

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (big pack – usually 2-3 lbs)
• 1 Tablespoon Mediterranean or Greek seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 2-4 cloves of garlic – minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1-2 lemons
• Extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)
• Kosher or sea salt (1-2 teaspoons)
• Black pepper (1 teaspoon)

Note:

• I use this amount on a big pack of chicken thighs (roughly 10 pcs) – if you’re using a smaller pack of chicken, just use half the amount!
• If you’re not a fan of dark meat, by all means use chicken breast. If your chicken breasts are fairly big/thick, I would halve them or pound them out so they’re the same thickness.
• You can certainly bake the chicken, but grilling it just gives the extra oomph! If choosing to bake, do so at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Directions:

1. Combine all the seasoning, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, EVOO, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside for 10-20 minutes. It should be more thick than runny as far as consistency goes.
2. Dry your chicken with paper towels and place in a dish, Ziploc bag or bowl.
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub it all over. Get it all in there, no chicken is left uncovered!
4. Cover it up and put it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight is even better. If you don’t have 2 hours, let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Grill the chicken at about 350-375 degrees until done. (Thighs will be about 10-12 minutes on each side. Chicken breasts should be no more than 5 minutes on each side in direct heat if they’re not too thick)
6. Pull the chicken off and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!