Greek Chicken Gyros w/ Spicy Yogurt Dressing

GREEK CHICKEN GYROS W/ SPICY YOGURT DRESSING

Inspired by “The Med” salad and pita sandwich at Noodles & Company, I decided to make these Greek Chicken Gyros last night for dinner. Serve with the spicy “Med” yogurt dressing, adapted from a copycat ‘Noodles & Co.’ recipe I found online, which interestingly includes a dash (or a few of ’em) of hot sauce!

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat pitas (without pockets), about 9″ in diameter
1 lb chicken breast
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 tbsp Greek seasoning
Prepared tzatziki sauce or greek veggie dip
2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup feta cheese

For the dressing:
3 tbsp hot sauce
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
dash of salt and pepper
1 tbsp feta cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
Combine balsamic vinaigrette and greek seasoning in a large ziplock storage bag. Add chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour, flipping bag halfway through.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend on low until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

When chicken has marinated, cut into strips about 1/2″ in width. Heat a skillet or grill pan on medium high. Add chicken to pan and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center (time will depend on the thickness of the breast). Remove from pan. While still hot, add a bit more cooking spray or olive oil and cook peppers until soft- about 5 minutes.

Spoon about 1 tbsp tzatziki sauce on each pita, leaving about an inch around the border. Cover with black olives, tomato, red onion, green pepper, cucumber, and spinach. Add a few strips of chicken to each pita and sprinkle a bit of feta over top. Loosely wrap in tin foil and place in a warm oven at about 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until warm. Alternatively place each pita on a preheated George Foreman grill at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with spicy yogurt dressing.