Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich with Halloumi “Fries”

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The temperamental spring season is upon us, and every week Mother Nature dishes out a mix of sun, clouds, rain, chilly days and other days that make us feel like summer is close. April is always a bit of a roller coaster. The Prince was born on a chilly, rainy Monday morning in April. By Friday, we took him for his first walk in the stroller wearing shorts and tank tops. So on the sunny, warmish days, you’ve gotta seize the opportunity to make warmish weather food. I crave Mediterranean and Greek food so much in the warmer months. Grilled meats and veggies, briny olives, salty cheeses and – of course – warm pita. This Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich with Halloumi “Fries” is something I could eat every night during this weird time of year because it’s light and healthy but also satisfying enough for those rainy days.

I mean, what could be more satisfying than holding a warm pita in your hand that’s stuffed with chicken, veggies and cheese? So much yum. For souvlaki, the chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces, marinated in a simple oregano vinaigrette and threaded onto skewers for easy grilling. And that’s really all souvlaki is – really flavorful meat cooked on skewers. Although serving the chicken on skewers is the traditional way to serve souvlaki, if you’re not grilling you could skip the skewers and just bake the chicken in the oven.

The vinaigrette we’re using here is one that I use often in a lot of my Mediterranean-inspired dishes. There’s just something about fresh oregano that screams “Greek” to me. Thankfully, it grows like a weed in my garden and is already in full effect. So, lots of oregano vinaigrette in our future.

The peppers are grilled (or baked) at the same time as the chicken, and while that’s all happening you’re frying the halloumi on the stove. And by frying I don’t really mean frying, you’re just warming it (no oil involved) until it gets browned. Fried halloumi is one of the more addicting things – it’s naturally salty and holds its texture with virtually no help or extra seasonings. All I do is give a frying pan a quick hit of nonstick cooking spray and toss the cheese in. It needs nothing more! And I dare you not to eat half of it while you’re waiting for the chicken to be done. It’s a true challenge to the will power.

All these delicious fillings, though, are only as good as the bread they’re served in. The pita for this Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich with Halloumi “Fries” has to be soft and pliable and, preferably, warm. We are all pretty obsessed with homemade pita around here. There’s really nothing like it, but I’ll admit it does take some time. The ingredients are very simple, as is the process, but as with any bread making, the dough needs time to rise. So that’s how it ends up being a bit of a project. Well worth it, in my humble opinion. But, if you choose to buy your pita at the store, try to find pocketless pita. Pocketless pita will be much fluffier and pliable than those pita pockets you find at the supermarket that have the flavor and consistency of cardboard.

Once you assemble your Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich with Halloumi “Fries”, give it a generous drizzle of tzatziki. You could even throw a dollop or two of hummus on there. It’s all good. Enjoy!

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 8 pieces of pocketless pita bread
• 8 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 8 oz. halloumi cheese
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the olive oil until incorporated. Stir in the oregano. Pour into a ziplock bag.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place in ziplock bag. Seal and shake the bag to insure all chicken is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or oven to 375 degrees. Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers. If baking in the oven, spread chicken evenly onto a baking sheet.

Slice peppers into strips and spread evenly onto a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken and peppers on the grill or in the oven at the same time. If grilling, turn the chicken occasionally to insure even cooking.

Grill time for peppers will be about 20 minutes and chicken about 25-30 minutes. Bake time (in oven) for peppers will be 20 minutes and chicken closer to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from skewers after cooking.

While chicken and peppers are cooking, heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Slice the halloumi into strips and fry, flipping the cheese strips for even cooking. Once the cheese is browned, remove from the pan.

To assemble, lay pita flat and place a leaf of lettuce in the center. Layer chicken, peppers and halloumi in the center of the pita, then fold over each side, one over the other. Drizzle with tzatziki.