Greek Inspired Chicken Salad Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the chicken, carrots, cucumber, olives and cheese. Gently mix together. Add the salad dressing and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate. Let flavors marinate for at least 1 hour. Serve on a bed of lettuce if desired.

Steps:

• Combine the first five ingredients. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Toss with chicken mixture. Cover and chill for several hours.

Steps:

• Place cucumbers in a colander; set onto a plate. Toss cucumbers with 1 teaspoon salt. Let rest to draw about liquid, about 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Place red onion and 1 cup cold water in a bowl. Let soak until the strong onion flavor is weakened, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
• Combine cucumbers, red onions, Greek yogurt, Kalamata olives, dill, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and black pepper in a bowl. Fold in chicken, feta cheese, and tomatoes. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour.
• Stir salad and serve on lettuce leaves.

Steps:

• To marinate the chicken: In a non-reactive dish, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and rub both sides in the mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a resealable container and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and then bring to room temperature before tossing salad.
• Assemble the salad: cut off any dark tips and the bitter white bottoms from the romaine leaves. Cut the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a bowl that is large enough to hold all the salad ingredients comfortably. Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and feta over the top. You can prepare the salad up to a few hours in advance. Cover it with a moist paper towel and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.
• To cook the chicken: Heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing it into thin strips.
• Give the dressing a good shake and pour it into a nice little serving bowl, using the lid to strain out the garlic.
• Toss salad just before serving and fan chicken out on top.

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed until al dente, careful not to overcook the pasta, just until chewy and firm, but cooked; drain well.
• Rinse in cold water.
• Mix together all pasta ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix all dressing ingredients; add to pasta mixture; toss well to coat.
• Let sit in refrigerator for 2 or more hours before serving, to blend the flavours.
• Sprinkle more Feta cheese on top to garnish.
• ***NOTE*** since this is a big favorite in my house, I usually just cook up the entire package of pasta, and just increase the vegetable amounts, there is really no need to double the dressing ingredients if you should use the whole package of pasta, as the salad may become oily, but by all means it may certainly be doubled if desired. The bacon is optional, I rarely add it.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt and garlic; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer 1/2 cup of the yogurt to a medium bowl and reserve for Step 5.
• Coat the chicken: To the large bowl, add the oregano and stir to combine. Season the chicken all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the chicken to the large bowl and turn to coat; set aside.
• Start the salad: Smash the cucumbers with the side of your knife until craggy and split. Rip into ½- to 1-inch pieces and transfer to a colander placed in the sink. Slice or chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Add to the cucumbers along with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. (It may seem like a lot of salt, but most will drain away.) Toss to combine and leave to drain.
• In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Scrape excess marinade off the chicken, then cook the chicken in batches, adding oil to the pan if necessary, until it's well browned and releases from the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to plates to rest. (For grilling info, see Tip.)
• To the medium bowl of yogurt, add the feta and mash with a fork until a chunky paste forms. Shake the cucumbers and tomatoes to get rid of any excess moisture. Add to the feta yogurt along with the olives and stir until coated. The balance is dependent on your produce and feta, so season to taste with salt and pepper until flavors are vivid. Eat alongside the chicken.