Tag: #Twiins in the Kitchen Mediterranean Recipes

Sylvia Pearce’s Spicy Dry Rub for Chicken

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A few weeks ago Jack & I were visiting family in Cary, NC, to celebrate my great-grandson’s 5th birthday.  Julian was excited to show me how he swims in the big community pool so, off we went. After sunscreen, earplugs & swim arms, he was ready to have fun. All the while I was a little distracted by the amazing aroma of grilling taking place to my right at one of the grill stations nearby. I could see chicken and steak on the grill which made my mouth start watering. I had to investigate! I then had the pleasure of meeting Dwayne & Sylvia Pearce. Dwayne is the Grill Master but quickly confessed that it’s his wife Sylvia’s homemade rub that makes the food delicious. It was very evident to me that Dwayne was enjoying every moment at the grill in spite of the 90º temperature outside. Their generosity extended to me a sampling of their chicken drumsticks and I was hooked! The chicken was grilled to perfection, full of spicy flavor, and very moist. Like many accomplished cooks, Sylvia uses a little of this and a little of that until the taste is just the way they like it. Thanks so much to Sylvia & Dwayne for sharing your good nature, spice rub ingredients, and chicken with me. I love it!

Sylvia Pearce's Spicy Dry Rub for Chicken

A quick & easy homemade spicy dry rub.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 chicken pieces
Calories:
Author: Twiins in the Kitchen®

Equipment

  • Small mixing bowl or plastic zip-lock bag
  • Measuring spoons

Ingredients 

  • 3 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp sweet or smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp Adobe seasoning
  • 1 packet Sazon seasoning
  • 1 ½ tsp jerk seasoning (if using jerk in a jar, omit the brown sugar)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cayene pepper
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all of the above ingredients and blend well.
  • Using paper towels, pat dry your chicken, then generously rub the spicy dry rub on both sides.
  • Heat your grill to medium-high then lightly oil the grates.
  • Place the chicken on the grill and grill for about 10 minutes on each side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees for dark meat or 160 degrees for white meat.
  • Rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g

Please note: Although the Nutritional Facts are provided, we are not nutritionists and therefore cannot verify the accuracy of these calculations. Please verify any data you see here with your favorite nutrition calculator.

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Spicy Dry Rub Ingredients
Delicious!
Sylvia & Dwayne Pearce

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Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Yogurt Honey Mustard Sauce

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Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Yogurt Honey Mustard Sauce

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy

When I was working, we frequently ordered lunch from a wonderful nearby deli that made the best chicken souvlaki. Whenever I went out for Greek cuisine, it was their souvlaki & tzatziki sauce I used as a comparison. This recipe is delicious, easy to make & definitely worth including in your dinner rotations. Enjoy! 😋 😋

Ingredients

  • 2  chicken breasts
  • 200 g brine
  • 1/2 English cucumber, diced
  • lettuce chopped
  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced & carmelized
  • grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • Kalamata olives, sliced
  • Feta cheese, small block (crumble into large pieces)
  • 6 Greek Pita Breads (click on the link for delicious homemade recipe)

Ingredients For the Chicken Brine:

  • 550 ml water
  • 1/2 of a lemon
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 bunch parsley
  • 1/2 Tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 35 g course salt
  • 2 cloves of garlic with skin on, crushed
  • 1 Tablespoon peppercorns

Ingredients For the Yogurt Honey Mustard Sauce:

  • 4 Tablespoons Greek yogurt, full fat
  • 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 1 Tablespoon juice of 1 lime

Directions

For the Chicken Brine:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Add all the ingredients for the brine in a medium saucepan. Stir & bring to a boil. Remove from heat once it comes to a full boil and set aside for 1 hour.
  3. Strain into a bowl once completely cooled. Discard all but the liquid.
  4. Chop the chicken into small bite-size pieces and add to the brine. Soak for 30 minutes but no more than 1 hour.

Cooking the chicken on skewers:

  1. Remove chicken pieces from the brine and drain well.  Dry off completely with paper towels. All the moisture needs to be drained.
  2. Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water. Add a drizzle of  EVOO onto a very hot griddle, place skewers of chicken onto hot griddle and brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Once browned place the griddle with the chicken skewers directly onto the center rack in the oven for 5 minutes. (Make sure your griddle is oven-proof, if not place on tin foil)
  4. At the same time, place the prepared Greek Pita Bread on the bottom rack after drizzling the pita bread lightly with EVOO. Season with salt & pepper. Bake 5 minutes.

Yogurt Honey Mustard Sauce:

  1. While the pita bread & chicken are warming, combine all the ingredients for the yogurt honey mustard sauce in a small bowl.

Serve:

On a large serving platter, place the warmed pita bread and serve the chicken souvlaki with chopped tomatoes, caramelized onions, lettuce, feta, kalamata olives, and the yogurt honey mustard sauce. You can also try it with tzatziki sauce in place of yogurt honey mustard or combine both together.

Notes: Homemade Authentic Greek Pita Bread is by far the best tasting you can have and it’s so easy to make yourself…really! Give it a try.

Recipes adapted from Akis Petretzikis.

Cooking Greek Chicken Souvlaki on the griddle
Greek Pita Bread with Chicken Souvlaki

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Delicious Homemade Chicken Gyros & Tzatziki Sauce

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Delicious Homemade Chicken Gyros

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

This gyro recipe is the best homemade gyro recipe we’ve ever tried. The yogurt marinade creates the most tender & flavorful chicken with a wonderful blend of warm Mediterranean spices. Gyros (pronounced euros) are a Greek dish typically made with chicken, pork or lamb and served on warm Greek pita bread as a sandwich with tzatziki sauce. I didn’t start cooking these until 5:30 pm so I had to tell my husband Gary to have some patience! We ate around 7:45 pm and he said they were worth the wait! 😋

Ingredients

For the Chicken & Gyro Fixings

  • 1.5 lb chicken tenders
  • 1 Tablespoon EVOO
  • Tzatziki sauce (see below)
  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 small red onion
  • Feta cheese, small block (crumble into large pieces)
  • 6 Greek Pita Breads (click on the link for delicious homemade recipe)

For the Chicken Marinade:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt (I used Cabot Greek whole milk yogurt but reduced-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt will work too)
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • 2 Tablespoon EVOO
  • 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
  • Pinch of black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • pinch cayenne pepper, optional

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

  • 1 English cucumber, peeled, grated & liquid squeezed out
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/3 large clove garlic, finely grated
  • 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoon EVOO
  • 2 cups Greek yogurt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/4 bunch dill finely chopped (optional)

Directions

For the Chicken Marinade:

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix well.
  2. Add the chicken tenders and coat well.
  3. Cover & refrigerate at least 1 hour.

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

  1. Using a cheese grater on the large blade side, grate the cucumber.  Put in a bowl and add a pinch of kosher salt and 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar. Toss together and set aside to release the liquid.
  2. In the meantime, combine the yogurt, 1/3 of garlic clove (grated), 2 Tablespoons of remaining white wine vinegar and 2 Tablespoons of EVOO. Mix until creamy and well combined.
  3. Place the shredded cucumber into a clean dish towel and squeeze with your hands to release all the liquid through the towel. Add the strained cumbers to yogurt and discard the liquid.
  4. Add salt & pepper to taste.
  5. Mix in the optional chopped fresh dill. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Chicken Tenders:

  1. In a non-stick large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon EVOO until hot but not smoking. Shake off excess marinade and place into skillet with tongs.
  2. Cook on medium for 5 minutes without touching or moving them. Using tongs, turn chicken over and cook another 5 minutes. When done you may leave the chicken tenders whole or cut into small cubes if you prefer. Place in a bowl for serving with the other gyro fixings.
  3. Preheat oven to 350ºF. While the chicken tenders are cooking, warm up the pita bread by placing them on a large cookie sheet (ok if they overlap a little) then lightly drizzle with EVOO. Heat for 5 minutes.
  4. Spread 1 or 2 Tablespoons of Tzatziki sauce on the pita bread, add 1 or 2 chicken tenders or cut up chicken, sliced bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, cucumbers, and feta cheese.
  5. Wrap stuffed pita in a little foil to keep the juices from falling out and enjoy!

Notes: Homemade Authentic Greek Pita Bread is by far the best tasting you can have and it’s so easy to make yourself…really! Give it a try.

Gyro recipe adapted from Suzy Karadsheh. Tzatziki Sauce recipe adapted from Akis Petretzikis.

 

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Authentic Greek Pita Bread

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Authentic Greek Pita Bread

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

Have you ever noticed the big difference between Greek Pita Bread from your grocery store and the ones served in a Greek restaurant? Whenever we eat gyros or souvlaki at a Greek restaurant we always remark how good the pita bread is. Store-bought brands just don't cut it! We decided to try making our own when we came across what looked like an easy recipe. As it turned out the recipe was very easy and after making them we were hooked! No more store-bought for us. This recipe makes fluffier, more tender & much more flavorful pita bread and you'll never want to go back to store-bought again! There are so many uses for pita bread. Whether to scoop up an appetizer dip like hummus, tzatziki or eggplant spread or to be used in place of sandwich bread for gyros or souvlaki, they will definitely stand out and delight! 😋

Ingredients

  • 160 ml whole milk, room temperature
  • 80 ml water, room temperature
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons EVOO
  • 2 tsp dry yeast
  • 320 g bread flour (aka Hard flour due to the higher protein content)
  • 1 tsp fleur de sel
  • 1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon EVOO, for frying
  • salt & Pepper

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, yeast, water & milk. Set aside until the mixture starts to froth, about 5 minutes.
  2. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, salt, and chopped fresh thyme leaves. Stir well.
  3. Add the EVOO to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture a little at a time. Make sure each batch added is well incorporated before adding more.
  5. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
  6. Brush a large bowl with a little EVOO then add the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest 40 minutes until it doubles in size.
  7. Place a flat non-stick griddle pan over medium heat. Let the pan get hot.
  8. Lightly oil your work surface then press on the dough to remove the air and cut it into 6 equal size pieces (or as close to equal as you can).
  9. Using a rolling pin,  roll out a ball of dough to a circle about 7-8 inches in diameter. (Mine came out a little rectangular so I went with it!)
  10. The griddle or pan will be hot enough now. Place the first pita bread directly on the hot griddle and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Once they start to puff up, use tongs to flip over and cook 1-2 minutes. You will have nicely browned or charred bubbles. Remove from heat and place on a serving dish. Continue cooking the remaining dough balls, 1 pita bread at a time until finished.
  11. Sprinkle with chopped thyme before serving.
  12. Serve warm with chicken gyros, souvlaki, hummus, or tzatziki sauce.

Notes: While the first pita bread is cooking, roll out the next one so it’s ready to go in the hot pan as soon as you remove the cooked one.

Recipe adapted from Akis Petretzikis.

Roll out each dough ball into an 8″ round.
Place rolled out dough on medium heated griddle
Greek Pita Bread, not exactly round but oh so delicious!
Greek Pita Bread, tomatoes, chopped cucumber & green onions.
Greek Pita Bread with Chicken Souvlaki

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Mediterranean Steak Bowls, Gluten-Free

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Mediterranean Steak Bowls, Gluten-Free

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

I was looking in my freezer to see what I could make for dinner without having to go the market. I found 2 small NY strip steaks that I defrosted for Gary to grill on the barbeque. I had most of the other ingredients for this delicious and healthy dinner. The best part...it's served all in one bowl. You can make this with what you have on hand, including chicken, beef, or lamb for the protein. The yogurt dressing is wonderful and blends all the flavors together. I could eat this dish every night of the week...it's that good. Give it a try.

Ingredients

For the Bowls:

  • 1 lb. NY strip steak (may substitute with flank steak, sirloin steak, chicken breast or lamb)
  • 2 tsp EVOO
  • salt, pepper, garlic powder (to season steak)
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped to your size liking (about 12 cups)
  • 1 large cucumber, quartered & cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1/4 medium red onion, finely sliced or chopped
  • 1-pint cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 1 cup hummus (I used Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus & added 1 clove finely minced garlic)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled fetta cheese
  • lemon wedges (optional)

For the Yogurt Dressing:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt (I used Cabot Greek whole milk yogurt)
  • 1 Tablespoon EVOO
  • 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp fresh mint, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried mint)

Directions

For the Dressing:

  1. In a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk together.  Place in the fridge until ready to use. This dressing can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

For the Bowls:

  1. Preheat the grill to high heat (approximately 450ºF).
  2. Pat the steak with paper towels until dry. Brush steaks with EVOO then sprinkle with salt, pepper & a little garlic powder.
  3. When the grill is hot enough, place the steak on the grill for 3 minutes then flip and grill an additional 3 minutes for medium-rare or until an instant-read thermometer reads 140ºF.  Grill longer for thicker steak. Our steaks were about 1-inch thick before grilling.
  4. Remove steak from the grill and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Slice thin against the grain.
  5. While the steak is resting, divide the chopped lettuce between 4 bowls. Top with sliced steak, red onions, hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese.
  6. Spoon yogurt dressing on top and garnish with optional lemon wedges.

Notes: In place of slicing the red onion thin, you can cut them into 1-inch pieces & place on skewers with the tomatoes. Grill for about 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally until tomatoes start to blister & onions are softened.

Recipe adapted from Jessica Beacom.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Meatless Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomatoes & Pignoli, Gluten-Free

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Meatless Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomatoes & Pignoli, Gluten-Free

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

After our holiday baking was over, we had pignoli left over so we came up with this delicious, healthy recipe to kickstart 2020. Our first recipe for the new year is a meatless Mediterranean dish. In spite of our husbands' carnivore appetites, this meatless dish satisfied them both...we were in heaven! This recipe delivers an exciting depth of flavor with a wonderful blending of ingredients. We think you and your family will love it.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds zucchini and yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise & sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • Kosher salt & pepper
  • 1/3 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 5 Tablespoons EVOO
  • 1 pound gluten-free pasta (we used Le Veneziane gluten-Free Farfalle)
  • 12 oz cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • Grated Pecorino Romano

Directions

  1. After cutting the zucchini and summer squash, sprinkle with approximately 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt and let drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels & wipe away residual salt. Set aside.
  2. While squash is draining, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, lower flame to simmer until ready to cook pasta.
  3. In a 12-inch non=stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO over high heat. Once it starts to smoke, add half the squash and cook until slightly charred, turning occasionally, approximately 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat if the skillet starts to overheat. Transfer to a large plate then repeat step 3 with the remaining half of squash and another tablespoon of EVOO. Transfer 2nd batch to plate and set aside.
  4. Bring water to full boil and add salt then the pasta. Cook according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of cooked pasta water.
  5. In the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of EVOO. Add pignoli and toast lightly, then add red onion, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook approximately 1 minute until fragrant.
  6. Drain pasta (reserve 1 cup of pasta water) then return pasta to the pot. Add the squash, tomatoes, pignoli mixture, vinegar, basil, and remaining 2 Tablespoons of EVOO. Mix well to combine.
  7. Add enough reserved pasta water to keep moist consistency but not soupy. You may not need the whole cup. Lightly drizzle with EVOO and top with grated cheese.

Char the sliced squash
toast pignoli then add red onion, garlic and pepper flakes
Mix everything into the cooked pasta
Place on serving platter
Top with grated cheese & Enjoy

 

Note:  If gluten is not an issue, use your favorite brand of pasta. If your family must have meat, feel free to add whatever they like. 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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