Picnic Chicken Pitas Recipes

Steps:

• In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, combine the first five ingredients; grind until mixture becomes fine. Rub over chicken. , On a greased grill, cook chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170°. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-in. strips. Refrigerate until chilled., In a large bowl, combine the chicken, romaine and rice. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss to coat. Serve in pitas.

Steps:

• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Cut two 12-inch sheets of plastic wrap.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making 4 roughly equal pieces; they should look like large chicken tenders. Place one sheet of plastic on a clean cutting board. Put a chicken piece in the center of the plastic and top with the other sheet of plastic. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4-inch thick and 6 to 8 inches long. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken, one piece at a time. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the chicken cutlets uncovered for 1 hour.
• Remove the zest from half of the lemon in wide strips with a vegetable peeler, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Halve and juice the whole lemon.
• Put the flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt. Working in 2 batches, cook the cutlets, adding another tablespoon of butter to the skillet between batches, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (it's ok if the chicken is not completely cooked through, it will finish cooking in the sauce). Transfer the cutlets to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and cook until the garlic is tender and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the capers, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1/4 cup water and the cutlets with any accumulated juices and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce and cook until the butter melts and the sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Steps:

• Marinate chicken in vinaigrette, covered, in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients; chill until serving., Drain and discard marinade. If grilling the chicken, lightly oil the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat until a thermometer reads 170°, 4-7 minutes on each side., Cut chicken into strips. Fill each pita half with chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and cheese; drizzle with sauce.

Steps:

• Cut 3 lemons crosswise in half; squeeze juice from lemons. Transfer to a large bowl or shallow dish. Whisk in oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour. , Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Thinly slice remaining lemon. On 6 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread chicken and lemon slices. Grill kabobs, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until chicken is no longer pink, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from kabobs; discard lemon slices. Serve chicken in pita pockets with tzatziki sauce and toppings of your choice.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Arrange the pita halves on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.
• In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and Arugula Pesto. Stir in the diced chicken.
• To assemble the pita pockets, fill each pita half with the chicken mixture. Top with tomatoes and 1/4 cup arugula and serve.
• For the pesto, blend the arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan and salt and pepper.