Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern)

Chicken Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish that is so easy to make and has tons of flavors. My husband and I love to go to a little hole in the wall called Aladdins Kitchen for their Chicken Shawarma wraps. Because we love the meal so much, I decided to give it a try at home and boy was it worth it. The flavors are so fresh. You can't go wrong with this dish, it really is so easy.

Because I was in the spirit of making this from scratch, I make my own naan (recipe already posted) but you can use store bought naan/pitas though I highly suggest you make your own.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, cubed

lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of cumin (you can always add more if you desire)

1 T of olive oil

pinch or two of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 garlic clove (diced)

1/2 teaspoon of curry (optional) - I love curry so I added it in the dish

Toppings:

1 purple onion (cut into thin slices)

crumbled feta cheese

garlic sauce (I posted the recipe to roasted garlic, just mash roasted garlic and add a tablespoon of olive oil to it and mix well for the sauce)

1 diced tomato (small cubes)

baba ganoush (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to blend all flavors and place back in refrigerator for at least 45 mins or more to let the ingredients blend. Once you're ready to cook, add chicken and juices into a large pan and cook until the chicken is done, set aside.

When you're ready to serve, in your pita, add your garlic sauce first, chicken mix, feta, onions and tomato inside the pita. I serve it with a side of baby gadoush as well as a dollop of the garlic sauce to dip the pita sandwich in.

Chik-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich

Whenever we can, my husband, son and I (and I'm pretty sure Gillian will too when she gets teeth) love to stop by to get a chicken sandwich at Chik-Fil-A. It was my favorite when I was pregnant with Gillian...I wanted one so often that I decided to do a little research and I found this recipe that is really yummy, taste just like C-F-A and the best part is, it's made at home with lots of mommy love.

I was able to make this sandwich before meeting on Sunday, from start to finish it was a simple 20 minutes and it was a great, home cooked meal for my boys and I.

Try it at least once, it's great!

• 2 chicken breasts halves
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar (trust me, it makes a difference)
• hamburger buns
• pickle slices
• cooking oil
  

Combine the milk and egg in a bowl and whisk until mixed well. Take flour and powdered sugar and mix in another bowl.

I take half of a chicken breast and cut it in half to make these sandwiches. Take a peice of chicken and dip it into the milk and egg mix. Then place the dipped chicken into the flour and sugar mix. Repeat the steps for an extra crispy chicken filet.

Above is a chicken filet that has been double dipped for an extra crispy texture. Once coated well, place into a hot fryer or pan filled with hot oil. Oil should be hot and bubble as soon as you put chicken into it. Cook until brown and crispy and there is no pink in the center.

Add pickle slices on top of the chicken and use good hamburger buns, it does make a difference.

-Jenifer

The "South Beach" Sandwich

I should be on the South Beach diet, the Atkins Diet, the Zone, the Life Choice, Weight Watchers, the Dr. Phil Diet....the "I feel for ya Oprah" Diet, but I'm not. I'm not dieting yet because I can't even make it to the grocery store let alone nap during the day to make up for the hours I'm awake during the night feeding our daughter. I should be motivated by the fact that Jaime (my BBFF) and my little sister, Crystal are on the South Beach Diet but I'm not, remember I said before that I'm TOO TIRED??!! So, I named this yummy dish the South Beach Sandwich because I'm pretty sure you can't eat it and I dedicate it to the DBFF's Jaime and Crystal.


1-2 lbs of Ribeye, shaved (ask the butcher, he'll do it for free)
sliced mushrooms, I buy the prepackaged sliced shrooms to cut down on prep time
red onion, slided
cheese dip
worcestershire (1/4 cup)
hoagie bread
butter

I buy the ribeye at Albertsons becaues the butcher will shave it for free. I take the meat and pull it apart in smaller peices before adding the worcestershire marinade.

Add the worcestershire sauce and let sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes before cooking.

Throw into a hot pan and cook until all the pink is gone.

(This is what the meat should look like before you add the onions and shrooms).

Move the meat aside and add the onions and shrooms and cook until tender.

Now mix them all together.

I like to toast my bread on a hot pan on the stove with some butter before adding the Cheese Whiz. Pile high the meat mix and enjoy! It's tasty!

-Lots of good eats

Jenifer