Chicken Gyros

This is what I've decided: Put anything on a pita and put tzatziki sauce on it, and I'll eat it. Actually, I'll eat the crap out of it, to the point so there isn't enough for leftovers the next day. Boo.

This recipe looks long, but it isn't complicated. I like to prep things ahead after lunch, so all I had to do at dinner was grill the chicken and warm up the pitas.

Chicken Gyros
recipe adapted from A Bitchin' Kitchen


For serving:
4 pitas or flatbreads, warmed (either in microwave or in foil in toaster oven)
Diced tomatoes
Diced red onion

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano (I used a liberal dump of Cavender's)
A few shakes of salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

Combine all of the above ingredients except for the chicken in a dish, and whisk together to make a marinade. Add in chicken, and turn to coat. Cover, and place in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.

Meanwhile, make the tzatziki sauce:
16 ounces non-fat Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, grated
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice to taste

Using a thick stack of paper towels, squeeze the diced cucumbers to remove as much water as possible. Repeat if necessary. In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers with all of the above ingredients. Cover, and place in the fridge.

After the chicken is done marinating, place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees, or grill for 16 minutes, depending on thickness. After your chicken is thoroughly cooked, allow it to rest for a few minutes, and then slice it into strips.

Assemble gyros with chicken, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and red onions. Serve.

Rice Pudding

I used up some leftover white rice from takeout one night...which normally there is not any leftover, because I think takeout white rice is straight crack.

My husband and son weren't a big fan, "Momma, next time, can I just have just the pudding without the chunks?" but if takeout white rice is crack, this is crack...with sugar on top! I inhaled it all in about 2 days. It's also great as a chaser to your coffee at breakfast, if you're so inclined.

Rice Pudding
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon, for topping

In a saucepan, combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk and beaten egg. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm. Sprinkle with cinnamon

Sweet Mexican Corn Cake

This tastes just like the side dish from Chi-Chi's, a restaurant I had a major obsession with in my early years. I even had a birthday party lunch there after some rowdy bumper bowling when I was in the 4th grade. (Fried Ice Cream for birthday cake...what a great idea!) I was so sad when the chain closed, but recreating the dishes has been a great walk down memory lane.

This recipe also gave me another reason to use up some of my masa harina. I very rarely use that ingredient so I'm getting nervous it might go bad on me one day. The other two recipes I use it for are Homemade Corn Tortillas and Pioneer Woman's Simple Meaty Chili.

The recipe directs you to coarsely chop up the corn in a food processor, but I used a hand chopper - it wasn't perfect, but the side dish was still yummy and I didn't have to wash all those darn pieces from the food processor. I love to cook, but hate to wash dishes. My mom's phrase "But it's all part of cooking" just hasn't totally rubbed off on me.

Sweet Mexican Corn Cake
recipe from Chef In Training

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup Mexican corn flour (masa harina)
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

In a medium bowl beat butter until it is creamy. Add the Mexican corn flour and water and beat until well mixed.
Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder.

Add to corn flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. (I used a similarly sized oval pan) Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9x13 inch baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven F (175 degrees C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.