Last summer, I was looking for a place to get some takeout lunch for picnic by the Monterey bay. I stumbled upon Dametra Fresh Mediterranean. Tried their Chicken Shawarma wrap with Tzaziki sauce. It was so good! Light, refreshing, and tasty. We went back to Monterey 3 more times over the summer, and every single time I had to stop by for the Shawarma wraps. This weekend, I tried my hands at this Mediterranean recipe for the first time. It turned out pretty good, good enough till I make another trip down to Monterey 😊.

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp all spice
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch cayenne
• Additional olive oil to sautee chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Rrinse and pat dry the thighs and slice the thighs into 5 pieces each.
2. Transfer all the meat into a large Ziploc bag.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil and the remaining spices.
4. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken slices in the Ziploc bag.
5. Seal the bag and knead the chicken until the slices are evenly coated with the spice mixture.
6. Flatten the bag and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
7. When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
8. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and brush it with olive oil.
9. Arrange the chicken slices evenly spaced on the oiled aluminium foil.
10. Roast the chicken slices for 15 minutes, turning chicken with tongs half way through the cooking. The chicken is ready when the juice runs clear.
11. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Reserve the juices to sauteed the chicken.
12. Slice each chicken into thinner, bite size pieces.
13. Heat a skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Sauteed half the chicken pieces with half the reserved juices in the skillet for 3-4 minutes until the chicken pieces are golden and lightly crispy on the edges. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
14. Repeat step 13 for the remaining chicken pieces.
15. Serve with chopped lettuce and tomatoes, and Oven Roasted Vegetables ^[1] with Tzaziki sauce over Saffron Almond Rice Pilaf ^[2]. Alternatively serve with pita bread.