Fit For A Picnic: Mish-Marinated Chicken, Pan-Fried Halloumi, Tabbouleh & Hummus Pita Wraps
This dinner was out of this world. I scarfed it down like it was my job. When my husband tasted the chicken, he literally called me "a visionary." It once came up that someone specifically made a recipe on my blog because I had noted how much my husband had liked the dish. So there you have it, this was totally husband-approved. I will throw in the caveat, though, that most any food is approved by my husband, so I don't know how helpful such an approval rating is...
Anyway, I dreamt up this dinner after a trip to Emily's Lebanese Deli and Holy Land Deli, both in Northeast Minneapolis. We'd had a long day at Art-A-Whirl and had eaten our fair share of food truck food and other indulgences, so we were both craving something light. We picked up some tabbouleh and hummus from Emily's and then stopped at Holy Land and got a mish yogurt dip, halloumi cheese, pita bread and olives to snack on for dinner.
We had an abundance of this mish dip leftover and I figured it'd be the perfect marinade for chicken. The ingredients listed on the dip I picked up included mixed cheeses, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, fenugreek, yeast, vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, red pepper and salt. Yogurt marinades usually result in really moist (gross, I know), perfect chicken and this was no exception. If you're unable to pick up some of this delicious, rather potent dip from Holy Land or their stand in Midtown Global Market, try your hand at mixing the above ingredients or check out these l
inks to recipes for it:
http://howtoexpo.com/recipes/spicy-feta-yogurt-dip-mish
http://www.dish-away.com/2012/09/mish-recipe.html
I can't comment on how either turn out, as I took the easy route and just bought it! If anyone does end up making a version, I'd love to hear your thoughts. You could make all the individual ingredients, but save yourself some time and leave it to the pros at your local Middle Eastern and Mediterranean markets. Pack these up with some fancy olives and a cool beverage and you'll be the hit of the picnic.
Mish-Marinated Chicken, Pan-Fried Halloumi, Tabbouleh & Hummus Pita Wraps
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: A few hours to marinate chicken + 30 minutes baking & prep time
Ingredients:
1 c. mish yogurt dip
2/3 lb. chicken breast
1 small block halloumi cheese, cut into 1/2-in. slices
1/2 c. hummus (just an estimate)
1/2 c. tabbouleh (just an estimate)
2 large pieces of pita bread
Method:
1. Place chicken in a bowl and cover with the yogurt dip. Use more if needed. Cover tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray a little bit of olive oil on the foil. Place marinated chicken breasts on baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Let rest and then cut into slices that will fit into the pita nicely.
3. While chicken is baking, pan fry the halloumi slices by browning on both sides. Remove from heat.
4. Spread hummus on each of the pita bread slices, along with a few spoonfuls of the tabbouleh. Add halloumi cheese and chicken until sufficiently filled. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.
