Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Kebabs

A delicious Middle Eastern meal, complete with grilled chicken and cherry tomato kebabs, with garlic pita bread and a tangy salad of tomato, cucumber, red onion and kalamata olives.

Recipe Ingredients:

Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chicken Kebabs:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
8 (6-inch) skewers

Pita Bread:
4 pieces pita bread
2 tablespoons extra-Virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Salad:
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium cucumber (peeled if waxed), chopped
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Kalamata olives to garnish
Fresh mint sprigs to garnish

Cooking Directions:

1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Add chicken pieces, mixing until well-coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. While the chicken marinates - make the salad, prepare the pita bread for grilling and then prepare coals for the grill.
2. To make salad, toss all salad ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cover and set aside to let the flavors blend.
3. To prepare the pita, stir together the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl or cup. Brush the pita bread with mixture on both sides and set aside until you are ready to grill.
4. Thread the chicken pieces and cherry tomatoes onto the skewers; two tomatoes per skewer and several pieces of chicken. Grill until it is well-charred and very firm to the touch, about 8 minutes over hot coals. Just before the chicken is done (or right afterwards if the grill is full), set the pita bread on the grill and toast both sides until lightly browned.
5. To serve, cut the pita bread into triangles and arrange on each of 4 plates. Spoon salad onto each plate and set the kebabs on top of the salad. Garnish with olives and fresh mint sprigs.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of the National Chicken Council. Used with permission.