"The beautiful Spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." Harriet Ann Jacobs. Of the four seasons, spring had long been my least favorite. Yet over the last several years, I have developed a deeper appreciation and fondness for nature's rebirth and renewal. Beyond having color restored to the landscape, spring's return symbolically reminds us we have another chance to renew those friendships we have allowed to go dormant, to resurrect those lists of resolutions we have made over the years, and to recommit to making time for what reenergizes us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Spring truly is the season of perennial second chances.
While going through the stacks of food magazines I have acquired over the years, I recently spent time revisiting the dog-earred pages of recipes I never got around to making. Maybe it was a brief conversation about food with someone who had recently been to the Middle East or maybe I am always drawn to recipes made with interesting spices responsible for gravitating me toward one of the famed Istanbul chef Musa Dagdeviren recipes shared in a July (2009) edition of Bon Appetit. If I ever needed a legitimate reason to rationalize my magazine saving (aka hoarding) tendencies, especially in this day and age, Musa's recipe for Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebobs with Aleppo Pepper would qualify.
Recipe
Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki (slight adaptions to the Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper recipe shared in Bon Appetit (July 2009) and to Ina Garten's Tzatziki recipe)
Ingredients
Chicken
1 1/2 Tablespoons Aleppo Pepper plus 1 Tablespoon warm water*
8 ounces whole-milk (full-fat) plain Greek yogurt (highly recommend Fage Total)
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (I like garlic, so I went with 8 cloves)
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
2 1/4 to 2 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or a combination of chicken thighs and/or chicken breasts) cut into 1 1/4" strips (depending on how much chicken used, yield will be 10-12 skewers)
For serving:
1 lemon cut into wedges
Naan or soft pita bread
*Note: Instead of the Aleppo pepper you can use 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper plus 2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika combined with 2 Tablespoons warm water.
Tzatziki
14 ounces whole-milk (full-fat) plain Greek yogurt (highly recommend Fage Total)
1 large English cucumber, unpeeled
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 3-4 garlic cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Chicken
1. In a large bowl, add Aleppo pepper and water. Stir and let stand until thick paste forms (approximately 5 minutes).
2. Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and whisk to blend.
3. Stir in garlic and lemon slices.
4. Mix in chicken. Cover and chill at least 3 hours (or up to overnight).
5. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
6. Thread 3 pieces of chicken on skewers (if using wooden skewers soak in water at least 1 hour before assembly in order to prevent them from catching fire on the grill). Discard marinade.
7. Sprinkle skewers with kosher salt, pepper, and Hungarian paprika (or additional Aleppo pepper).
8. Grill chicken skewers until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally (approximately 12-16 minutes).
9. Transfer to a platter, surround with lemon wedges.
10. Serve with warmed naan (or pita bread) and tzatziki.
Tzatziki
1. Place yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
2. On a box grater coarsely grate the cucumber. Put grated cucumber in a cheesecloth or paper towel to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add to yogurt mixture.
3. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Spring images from Tohono Chul Park, a Botanical Garden in Tucson, Arizona.