No-Barbecue Grilled Chicken Souvlaki & Mediterranean Veggie Skewers
For all of my friends living in apartment buildings with restrictions against barbecues (or maybe you just don't have a barbecue!)... I've discovered the perfect way to get that delicious grilled souvlaki & mixed veggie flavour - no barbecue necessary!
Living in an apartment myself, I always found it was hard to make meals in the summer. But, not anymore! By using the broiler feature in your oven, you can get that same nice, charred surface around your meats and veggies just like on a barbecue.
So, although this might be the first time I've tested this recipe out, it sure as hell won't be the last.
This recipe is easy, delicious, and the perfect way to incorporate your favourite proteins and nutrient-rich veggies into easy-to-eat, easy-to-prep skewers that just taste like summertime. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Recipe + details available below.
Note: For the Greek Salad recipe on the side, head over to my Vegetarian Chickpea Greek Salad blog post! I used the same recipe, but I just eliminated the chickpeas and olives in this one.
INGREDIENTS:
[for the chicken skewers]
4 chicken breasts
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
[for the veggie skewers]
1 eggplant
3 zucchini
2 tbsp oregano flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
TOOLS NEEDED:
2 large mixing bowls
baking tray
wire rack
jumbo skewers
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet (or two!) with aluminum foil (to catch any drips!). Then, place a wire rack over top.
Thoroughly wash and dry all veggies. Rinse and pat chicken breast dry. Set aside two mixing bowls - one for your veggies, and another for your chicken souvlaki.
Cut chicken breast and veggies into1-1.5 inch thick cubes and place in their respective bowls. (Note: Make sure you're using separate knives for your chicken & veggies so there is no cross-contamination!)
In the veggie bowl, add olive oil, oregano flakes, salt and pepper (to taste), then mix until all veggies are fully coated.
In the chicken souvlaki bowl, add olive oil, minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper (to taste), then mix until chicken is fully coated.
Next, skewer all your veggies onto individual sticks, and skewer your chicken souvlaki onto their own sticks.
Place skewers onto a wire rack and bake in the oven for 10 minutes each side. About halfway through each side, set the oven to broil and let it crisp up on the highest oven rack. Then, turn the setting back down to 400F, bake for 5 minutes on the other side, then broil again.
Once veggies and chicken come out broiled and fully cooked (which will vary depending on the size of your cubes and your particular oven), they are ready to enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
[for the chicken skewers]
Makes approximately 5 skewers. For one skewer...
Calories: 164
Carbohydrates: 1g
Protein: 23g
Fat: 7g
[for the veggie skewers]
Makes approximately 10 skewers. For one skewer...
Calories: 58
Carbohydrates: 7g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 3g