Homemade Kebabs with Tzatziki.

Late Saturday evening usually sees a torrent of young ladies walking home with heels in one hand and a greasy, fatty, most-unappealing-when-sober kebab in the other. They are definitely not the healthiest of snacks and who knows what some of these grotty takeaways put into them! So, if you want to be super prepared for coming home after a night out, or you just fancy a takeaway that won’t stay on your hips forever, why not try these homemade chicken kebabs with a fresh tzatziki dip? The chicken can either be marinated for a few hours before hand or simply coated on just before grilling. The marinade uses a mixture of honey, soy sauce and lemon juice to keep the chicken moist and juicy whilst giving it a sweet and fresh flavour. The longer you marinade it for the more pronounced the flavour will be, but don’t worry if you don’t have time as coating the chicken with the mixture while it’s cooking will still give it that tricky tenderness. If chicken isn’t your favourite, you could use turkey (which is even healthier) or lamb. Using lamb could have unbelievable consequences for your taste buds; use the same marinade but add some fresh chopped mint. When it comes to serving, spread the tzatziki onto a thick floury wrap, let the meat & vegetables slide down off the skewer, and roll it up for a kick-ass kebab.
In the recipe I’ve put in the vegetables that I prefer, but you could easily pick and choose your own favourites to use. They are also perfect for barbeques, have them ready to hit the grill or let your guest make their own from a choice of chicken and vegetables - perfect for those picky eaters or vegetarians.
The tzatziki dip is fabulously refreshing and works well with the sweet flavours of the meat. If you’re planning on kissing the boys I would maybe cut down on the garlic for this recipe, it is just as nice without as it is with. I’ve made it with fat free yoghurt so as to save on calories and it tastes a lot lighter than if made with your standard creamy Greek yoghurt. I’ve chosen to dice my cucumber as I like having a bit of a texture party on my taste buds, but you could simply grate it to save time and effort. If you do this, leave the skin on as it holds the cucumber together a bit better, and make sure you squeeze the gratings between some kitchen towel to remove the excess water, as this could affect the consistency of the tzatziki.
I really do adore this dish, it’s easy to throw together at the last minute or if you’re super organised (unlike me) you can have it prepared in advance. The homemade dip adds a nice touch to the dish and tastes so much better than shop bought! Try it for yourself and see the difference - reap the rewards too when you don’t feel sluggish after eating a carton full of greasy donner!



Recipe.

2x skinless chicken breasts
Marinade  - 30g honey (set or runny)
-20 ml soy sauce
-1 red chilli chopped & deseeded
- juice of 1 lemon
-2 crushed garlic cloves
-15g ground ginger
-15ml olive oil
Your chosen veg, cut into large chunks
150g plain white rice
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
2 spring onions, sliced

Tzatziki:

200g fat free yoghurt
20ml olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves - or more if you like!
1 large cucumber, diced or grated
Squeeze of lemon juice
Fresh mint - optional.

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a bowl.
2. Mix the ingredients for the marinade together and add to the chicken. Leave a little for brushing while cooking. Ensure all the meat is covered and leave to marinade in the fridge.
3. Thread the chicken and veg onto metal kebab skewers and place under a hot grill/on the BBQ/wherever you’re cooking! They should take around 8-12 minutes depending on the heat, use a brush to baste with the leftover marinade whilst cooking.
4. Cook your rice according to instructions and when cooked mix with the diced pepper and spring onions.
5. For the tzatziki, literally mix all the ingredients together thoroughly and serve in a bowl alongside your kebabs.
6. Serve the rice in another bowl and present all 3 to your lucky guests!