Free Inquiry: Cooking

Hello,

Welcome to my first attempt at teaching myself to cook using my family’s recipes. I think this is a fun activity that can fit perfectly into any home economics classroom. Each week, the teacher could feature a different student, who will have the choice to either share a recipe that is passed down through their family or if cooking isn’t a big part of their home life, they can choose to make their favorite meal instead. To kick things off, I decided to ask my mom for a recipe. She sent me her chicken shawarma, which she he has been making since I was little and it has been a fan favorite for my friends as well.

Marinade:

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic pressed (I just chopped finely because my roommates and i don’t have a garlic press), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 16 oz boneless chicken thighs.

Pita:

1 small red onion cut into wedges, 1/4 cup fat free chicken broth, pita bread, 4-5 leaves romaine lettuce shredded, 2 cups cucumber chopped, 1 large tomato chopped.

Sauce:

5 oz plain 0% Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 clove garlic pressed, 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste, pepper to taste.

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a zip lock bag and pour marinade over the top. Shake to coat and allow the marinate to sit overnight (refrigerated). In a separate bowl combine sauce ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Preheat your oven to the warm setting (or lowest heat setting). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken thighs and cook for 2-4 minutes until first side is seared and darkly golden. Flip and cook additional 2-4 minutes, until thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn down the heat and add onions and chicken broth until simmering. place pita to warm in oven for about 4 minutes (or until warm and easy to open). Top with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt sauce, and chicken. Enjoy!

Although I got this recipe from my mom, she did not come up with it. Here is the original source she found it from:

http://bakingmischief.com/2016/05/04/chicken shawarma-with-yogurt-sauce/