chicken shawarma

Steamy. That best describes the weather these days. And the sun isn't even out AND it's not even July! When the sun does come out on steamy days it gets brutal. This extreme hot and cold varying weather caused by global warming? I don't know, I'm on the fence about it. Something is causing it, be just plain old weather trends every 50 or 100 years or pollution. Who knows I need more data/facts on it. What I do know is almost 10 years ago on the cape we never had this much humidity in the summer. Sure it would get hot but never this humid. Another thing is the amount of rainfall we've been getting; every year it's gone up by 1-3 inches. Now that part is scary. You've seen on the tv all the flooding that's been going on?

For any of you weather history buffs, like myself, here are a few neat weather data sites that let you see the history of the weather. First one is the NOAA regional climate centers. The second is the old farmers almanac that has a good weather history section. For myself, I love the NOAA one it gets really in depth. I love to know what the temperature was like in say 1903--good stuff.

The oven in my house has not been on much. Lots of pizza, salads and grilling have been taking over. Haven't been in the mood to make cakes for a while, with this heat and all. But the grilling is something I've been craving non-stop. So here is my version of chicken shawarma. I know there are tons of versions out there, but this one is quick and easy to throw together for hot summer nights. Here is another good version of chicken shawarma from Food in my Beard. And Lisa over at Jersey Girl Cooks has a good one too.

chicken shawarma
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chicken marinade:
2 large lemons, juiced
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ts cumin
1 ts madras curry powder
A couple dashes of cayenne powder
1 ts salt
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up into large chunks (or you could use thighs)

In a large glass or ceramic dish mix together lemon juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt, curry, and cayenne.
Add in the chicken and coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the tahini sauce next. When ready to cook chicken you can either grill it, cast iron fry it or bake it in a roasting pan at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes or until juices in the chicken run clear. If you do use the oven way do not cook it in the marinade. Personally I think grilling is the best way, really brings out the flavor of the marinade. When the chicken is cooked shred it into long strips.

tahini sauce:
1/4 cup tahini paste (sesame paste)
2 TB plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
1 ts garlic powder
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
A few dashes of cayenne
a couple dashes of paprika
salt & pepper to taste
fresh chopped parsley

Whisk all ingredients together. If you like a thinner sauce, add in water. I prefer mine thick. Chill this for a few hours before using.

Assemble:
Pita breads or lavash bread, warmed up
chopped tomatoes
chopped cucumbers
red onions
avocado
black onions
feta cheese
hummus

Grill the pita bread/rollups so they are warm and pliable. Layer in some of the chicken then top with whatever toppings you like and then top with the tahini sauce.
For me, I love to add in a layer of hummus, then the chicken, then the toppings and then the tahini sauce. It all works very well together.