THERE’S SO MUCH to love about a diner. The massive omelettes. The piles of fries. The mile-high pies under domed display cases and bright lights. All the chrome.
“As a native New Yorker born in the late seventies, I’ve never known a time without diners—and thank goodness for that,” writes Julissa Hernández Roberts in the intro to The New American Diner Cookbook, out now.
Harvard Common Press The New American Diner Cookbook
Harvard Common Press The New American Diner Cookbook
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Because diners are magical places where you can order pretty much anything, at any hour, from cuisines that span the planet. Roberts’ new cookbook includes recipes for chilaquiles, fish ’n’ chips, and loco moco—among classics like fluffy pancakes and country fried steak.
But there’s one recipe in particular from the book that does it for me: the chicken souvlaki sandwich with tzatziki.
Marinated grilled chicken, garlicky homemade tzatziki, all the fixins. This high-protein meal is heaven wrapped in a pita. It’s freakin’ awesome when you order it at a diner, but it’s even better when you make it at home.
(For more recipes from Hernandez beyond The New American Diner Cookbook, check out her 25 High-Protein Snacks and 25 Easy High-Protein Meals You Can Make in 25 Minutes or Less.)
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into even bite-size pieces
- 1/4 c. olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp.
- Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 Tbsp.
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, plus 4 more cloves, finely grated
- 1/2 large English cucumber
- 1 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
- 4 pita breads, warmed
- 2 c. chopped Romaine lettuce
- 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
Directions
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How to Make It:
1.To make the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1/4 cup olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, oregano, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to a day.
2. To make the tzatziki: Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the cucumber and transfer to a fine-mesh sieve. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp kosher salt over the cucumber and toss to coat; let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer the cucumber to a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cucumber, yogurt, 4 cloves of grated garlic, dill, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and a few grinds of pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste with more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice. Refrigerate until needed.
4. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates.
5. Thread the chicken onto four 12-inch skewers and place on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until completely cooked through and no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Spread a hearty spoonful of tzatziki over the surface of the pitas. Top each with lettuce, the chicken removed from the skewers, tomatoes, onion, a little more tzatziki, and the feta. Wrap tightly in foil, tear off one side, and dig in!
Paul Kita is a Deputy Editor at Men’s Health, where he has covered food, cooking, nutrition, supplements, grooming, tech, travel, and fatherhood at the brand for more than 15 years. He is also the author of two Men’s Health cookbooks, Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan, and the winner of a James Beard Award.
