I'd say the biggest surprise returning to work after maternity leave is how many people seem to believe I was on a giant vacation. They ask me where I went, what I read, what movies I watched, and tell me that I was gone a loooong time. Do people really think I was sitting on the beach with a sleeping baby at my side the whole summer? I'm assuming those people have never had kids, because there is nothing relaxing about taking care of a newborn. Unless you think not sleeping, not showering, constantly changing diapers and letting a little creature suck food out of you most of the day is relaxing. I wouldn't trade a minute of my time with Amelia away, but I would be lying if I said that she wasn't a lot of work. What makes it all worth it, though, is this:

How can you not love a smile like that?

With working full time plus an hour commute each way and allowing time for feeding/reconnect with Amelia once I get home, dinner often gets pushed back or replaced with yogurt or some oh-so-addictive Fruity Pebbles. I'm slowly learning how to adjust to this new normal, though, and that means prepping ahead of time if I want dinner on the table. That's why recipes like this are my new best friends. The chicken can be cut and put in the marinade, the sauce can be made, and even the tomato and cucumbers can be chopped ahead of time. That means that with just a few minutes of cooking time, I can have a meal ready to go. And did I mention the flavor? It's like a gyro meets chicken breasts. The yogurt marinade keeps the chicken extremely moist and is easy and quick to prepare. Even if you don't have a new baby at home, you will want to have this recipe in your dinner rotation.

Quick Greek Chicken Pita

By HeatOvenTo350 Published 09/12/2012

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 1 large chicken breast (about 1/2 pound)
• 1/2 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Greek sauce

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 cup finely chopped cucumbers

For the chicken

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• Pita bread, for serving

Directions

1. For the marinade, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the yogurt, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for at least two hours, but overnight if possible.
2. For the Greek sauce, mix together all of the ingredients and refrigerate. Adjust seasoning according to taste before serving.
3. For the chicken, wipe off the excess marinade. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Give a quick toss and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. To assemble, combine the chicken with desired amount of Greek Sauce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pile onto a piece of pita bread, fold like a taco, and devour.

Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 10 min (plus 2+ hours marinating time)
Cook time: 5 min

Recipe Source: adapted from thekitchn.com and allrecipes.com

Posted in: Main Dish