Chicken Schwarma

Matt wanted to cook dinner last week but we had no ideas.  So Rachael Ray had to do the thinking.  We flipped through the cookbook until we found something delicious.  And this was it.  So we cooked TOGETHER and had a great meal.  However, be warned, that when we tasted the food individually we were not impressed.  Together, it was AMAZING.  I was sad when the leftovers ran out and we had to eat something different two days later. 

Don't get overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients. Just get everything out before you start and you will be fine. Read the directions and mix stuff together before you actually start assembling the food.
Here's what we needed:

• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon cumin (we definitely used more)
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom (we used NONE because it is so expensive)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (yes, I use this spice)
• 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (we probably used more)
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick brand Montreal Steak Seasoning (we forgot this)
• 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled (or the minced stuff we keep in the fridge)
• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast or 12 chicken tenders
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup store-bought sesame tahini paste, available in the refrigerated case near the hummus at the grocery store (ours is near the Greek stuff and not refrigerated, should I be worried? Nah.)
• 1 1/2-2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• An extra 1/2 teaspoon cumin (or more)
• Salt
• 8 pita breads
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley tops (we always forget this part)
• 1/2 cup hot banana pepper rings (we always forget this part)

Here's what we did:

1. Pre-heat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high to high heat. We broiled them
2. Combine spices, then mix with the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 cup EVOO on a shallow plate or in a bowl. Grate garlic into the EVOO. Add chicken and turn in spices and let stand for 15 minutes. 
3. Grill chicken until marked and cooked through, 12 minutes for breasts, 8-10 minutes for tenders.
4. While chicken is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onion and toss until they become tender, 10 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the juice from the remaining 1/2 lemon with tahini, yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and a drizzle of EVOO and salt, to taste. Thin with a little water until spoonable. 
6. Char pita breads. 
7. Fill pita with chopped or sliced chicken, peppers, onion, parsley leaves and hot pepper rings and top with tahini sauce. We added the tahini sauce to the yogurt stuff.  Maybe that's why it tasted a little weird.  But again, as a whole mouthful, it was DELICIOUS!
   
   5 STARS!