Fourth of July is just a few days away and for many of us, this means firing up the grill. This year, why not spice things up by adding a Greek twist to your spread? Frances Vavloukis, health and wellness coach, stopped in to the COOK kitchen recently and provided us with her recipe for Souvlaki – a Greek skewer consisting of tender cuts of meat and veggies, served with pita bread. We also recommend pairing this dish with rice pilaf and Greek salad but feel free to make it your own. Just like all of Frances’ dishes, this recipe is sure to impress!

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breast, cubed 2” pieces (substitute pork tenderloin, lamb or filet of beef)
2 zucchini, sliced 1” thick
24 cherry tomatoes
2 squash, sliced 1” thick
24 button mushrooms, whole
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper
oregano
garlic powder
5 large onions, cut in wedges
pita bread

Put pieces of meat in marinade of oil, lemon and wine. Sprinkle with spices and add bay leaves. Place onions on top of meat in marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours. (Option – put pieces of vegetables in a bowl and follow step above, omitting meat).

Alternate meat and vegetables on kebob sticks. Broil 20 minutes or grill outside. Or par-grill and place in preheated oven 350 degrees and finish cooking.

Brush each pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Bake in 350 degrees or grill until crispy. Serve with Souvlaki.

And there you have it. Now you have delicious Souvlaki for everyone to enjoy.
Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!