Mediterranean Chicken Bowls

*Adapted from At the Immigrant's Table.

SERVES: 4
PREP: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Chicken:
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to even thickness) or chicken thighs
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes

Homemade Tzatziki:
1 large English (seedless) cumumber
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
salt & pepper to taste

Bowls: 
6 cups cooked couscous (or rice or quinoa)
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups cucumber, diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup kalamata olives (my family skips this)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
fresh parsley or mint, chopped
lemon wedges for serving (optional)


DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the marinade--all ingredients for the chicken. Coat the chicken well and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Make the tzatziki--shred the cucumber and squeeze out all liquid until it feels dry. Mix with other ingredients and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the chicken on a large pan covered with foil. Roast the chicken for 20-30 minutes or until a thermometer at the thickest part reads 165 degrees.
4. Rest chicken for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain for tender pieces.
5. While chicken is cooking, prepare other ingredients for the bowls--cook couscous according to directions, chop vegetables and herbs, and set out all ingredients for easy assembly. 

Serve with warmed pita wedges and hummus.

Denise's Breakfast Casserole

PREP: 1 hour
SERVES: 8-12

INGREDIENTS
1 pkg of breakfast sausage
1 cup diced sweet onion (about 1/2 of a large onion)
1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1/2 of a large pepper)
2 cups fresh chopped kale leaves, center vein removed, packed tightly (about half of a bunch) OR chopped spinach (use 1 cup of frozen kale or spinach)
16 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, brown and crumble sausage. Add in diced onion and bell peppers and sauté.
When onion is almost translucent, add in chopped kale and sauté just until wilted (or heated through if using frozen). Remove from heat. 
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until smooth. 
Spread the sausage and vegetable mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Pour the egg mixture evenly over everything.
Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, or until the center is set and a knife inserted comes out clean.
Let stand 5–10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes: Feel free to any veggies you have on hand, torn pieces of stale bread, leftover chicken or other meat, or even change the type of cheese used. This recipe is SO adaptable and easy to scale.

Here are a few combo suggestions:

• mushroom, onion, & potato

• zucchini, asiago cheese, & tomato slices on top (always pat dry tomato slices on paper towels first)

• add hash browns or dice up leftover baked potatoes with the kale, onion, red bell pepper, and sausage