Half Baked Harvest's Tieghan Gerard recently joined Brit on a Teach Me Something New podcast episode all about her best cooking tips. Now, she's sharing her favorite recipes with us, all originally published on Half Baked Harvest. Take it away Tieghan!
I am officially feeling spring in the air, and geez, I love it. This recipe is chock-full of Moroccan-inspired flavors and truly the most delicious, addicting, creamy feta sauce. It's perfect if you need something quick and easy to cook up this week.
The inspiration
As I mentioned above, this recipe was created with Moroccan flavors in mind. But then they also have a slight Greek twist with that creamy, salty feta sauce.
Years ago I made some grilled Moroccan chicken to serve alongside my homemade naan. I remember enjoying it so much, so I did my best to recreate those flavors today! Only I added a few touches to make the recipe even better.
Photo via Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest
Let's talk about the details
I marinate the chicken with a combination of olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, a small pinch of cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and lots of cilantro and parsley. If you don't love cilantro? Just use the parsley and maybe a handful of mint.
Now, when I say marinate, I really just mean toss the chicken up and let it sit while you get everything else for serving together.
Photo via Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest
While the chicken sits, I mix up a quick, lemony sun-dried tomato vinaigrette to serve over the chicken that adds that lemony touch to each bite.
Photo via Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest
Now, onto that feta sauce
As you might expect, I couldn't share this recipe without including a sauce. Enter this delicious feta sauce. It's whipped feta cheese, with a bit of yogurt, lemon, and whatever herbs you have on hand…or love the most.
The salty feta creates an addicting sauce. Every spoonful is delicious, but it's especially great over this lemon chicken.
Once you have everything all made/prepped, just grill chicken, and serve it all up! It's worth the wait!
I served the lemon vinaigrette and chicken with fresh naan and crispy roasted potatoes. I used homemade naan, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought pita or flatbread.
I then added a very generous amount of that feta sauce, fresh herbs, and a few extra slices of lemons to top the dish off.
Photo via Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons, plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro and or parsley, chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
- juice of 1 a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichokes
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
Feta Sauce:
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh tender herbs such as dill basil or parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, the paprika, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, 3 cloves garlic, ginger, cilantro, parsley, and a pinch each of chili flakes and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch each of chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
- To make the feta. Combine the feta, yogurt, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. Stir in the herbs, paprika, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Take skewers and thread the chicken, artichokes, and asparagus pieces on.
- Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Alternately, you can roast the chicken at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with the vinaigrette and feta sauce spooned over top. Top with fresh herbs and serve with naan and additional feta on the side.
There you have it, easy and delicious!
Share your lemony creation with us @BritandCo and tag @HalfBakedHarvest!
This recipe was originally published on Half Baked Harvest.
