dinner party

RECIPE: Chicken Shawarma with Fresh BC Greenhouse Vegetables 

Chicken Shawarma
with Fresh BC Greenhouse Vegetables 
September 2022


Just over a week ago, I helped create a Middle Eastern themed feast with a few of my food blogger friends, using some fresh vegetables from BC Greenhouse.
I had a craving for a pita filled with delicious things, so I picked some turnips (a first), marinated some chicken, chopped some veggies and made a huge platter that everyone dove into.

Most of the prep for this one is done ahead of time, so it’s an easy dish for parties, or feeding a large amount of people!

Ingredients: 
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
 
For the marinade: 
- 3 tbsp olive oil 
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced 
- 1 tbsp ground cumin 
- 1 tbsp ground coriander 
- 1 tbsp ground cardamom 
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional – this is the heat) 
- 2 tsp smoked paprika 
- salt and pepper 
- juice of one lemon 

Greek Yogurt Sauce: 
- 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt 
- 2 cloves garlic, minced 
- salt and pepper 
- tsp of lemon juice (more to taste/to thin) 
- pinch of cumin (more to taste) 
 
To Serve: 
- pita (your choice of kind) 
- lettuce, shredded 
- tomatoes, roughly chopped 
- cucumbers, chopped 
- pickled turnips (homemade is best and easy) 
- hot sauce (optional) 
- hummus (optional) 
- tahini sauce (optional) 
 
Directions: 
 
Mix the marinade ingredients together and place in a container of bag with the chicken, mixing until it’s completely coated. Let sit in the fridge for 24 hours, occasionally mixing it again. 

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl – adjusting seasoning to taste, and place in the fridge covered until ready to use. 
 
If you’re making the shawarma into a platter, you can pre-chop the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, turnips if using and place into individual bowls. 
 
To cook the chicken you can either do so on the bbq or in a hot skillet on the stove for about 4 minutes on each side depending on the size of the thighs. 
Once it’s cooked through, let it rest on a plate covered in foil while you prep the platter with the vegetables and sauces. 

Slice the pitas in half or leave them whole, and let your guests choose which fillings they want to fill it with! 
 
Enjoy!