Thinking Outside the (Lunch) Box

Souvlaki might be the healthiest fast food you’ll ever eat. The word sou­vlaki comes from the Greek soúvla, meaning “skewer,” so the dish is simply meat on a skewer. Souvlaki is traditionally made with pork in Cyprus and Greece, but any type of meat can be used — chicken, lamb, and beef are great options. If you can skewer it, you can souvlaki it.

Enjoy souvlaki on the skewer or remove the meat and make a warm pita sandwich, accompanied by homemade tzatziki, hummus, tomatoes, sliced onion, and a squeeze of lemon.

Spiced Chicken Souva with Pita and Tzatziki is made in the oven, so no skewers required, but I do like to make kebabs and use the grill when the weather is warm to get a nice char on the meat.

I love a good condiment and use tzatziki for grilled meats and vegetables throughout spring and summer. With a thinner skin that doesn’t require peeling and with fewer seeds, an English (aka hothouse) cucumber is a perfect vehicle for a creamy dip like tzatziki.

With capers and kalamata olives, the French-inspired Tuna Salad Picnic Sandwich is a bit of an elevated tuna salad that my kids enjoy. Perfect for the beach or a picnic, the no-cook sandwich takes only 15 minutes to prepare. You can easily make the tuna salad in the morning and store up to four hours so, come lunchtime, all you need to do is assemble your sandwich.

Spiced Chicken Souva with Pita and Tzatziki

(Makes 6 servings)

Chicken:

1    tablespoon garlic powder

2    teaspoons each dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, paprika

1    teaspoon kosher salt

2    teaspoons olive oil

2    garlic cloves, finely grated on microplane grater

9    boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 5 ounces each)

Tzatziki:

1    hothouse cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded

2    garlic cloves

2    cups 2 percent Greek yogurt

3    tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2    teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2    teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

 

6    pita breads, warmed

1    heirloom tomato, sliced

1    small red onion, thinly sliced

To prepare chicken: Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, mix garlic powder, oregano, pepper, salt, onion powder, and paprika. Stir in oil and grated garlic. Add chicken and toss in spice mixture until evenly coated.

Arrange chicken thighs in single layer on nonstick baking sheet with rim. Roast for about 25 to 30 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken thighs is 165°F.

To make tzatziki: Coarsely grate cucumber into a medium bowl. Finely grate garlic into grated cucumbers. Stir in yogurt, lemon juice, peel, mint, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Thinly slice chicken and transfer to pita breads. Top with tomato, onion, and tzatziki and serve.

Make-Ahead: Chicken can marinate for up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated. Tzatziki can be made up to 8 hours ahead, covered and ­refrigerated.

Per serving:
Calories: 436
Total Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Sodium: 703 mg
Carbohydrate: 22 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 53 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 6 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

Tuna Salad Picnic Sandwich

(Makes 4 servings)

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained

1    lemon, juiced, zest finely grated

1    baguette, split open

1    5-ounce can of water-packed tuna (preferably pole-and-line-caught), drained

1    tablespoon drained capers, coarsely chopped

1    tablespoon chopped shallot

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

2    hard-boiled eggs, sliced

2    vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced

1/4 English (hothouse) cucumber, thinly sliced

In small food processor, blend mayonnaise, sour cream, olives, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Lay open baguette on cutting board and tear out most of soft interior of bread (reserve bread interior for another use like bread crumbs). Spread mayonnaise mixture over both halves of baguette. Flake tuna over baguette bottom. Sprinkle capers and shallots over tuna. Top with basil and egg slices, then tomatoes and cucumbers. Cover with top half of baguette. Cut into 4 sandwiches and serve.

Per serving:
Calories: 252
Total Fat: 13 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Sodium: 657 mg
Carbohydrate: 20 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 14 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1.5 lean meat, 2 vegetables, 1 fat

Want more great Mediterranean lunch ideas? Try Curtis Stone’s Roman-Style Braised Green Beans and Tomatoes at saturdayeveningpost.com/gbtom

 

Recipes courtesy Curtis Stone

This article is featured in the May/June 2025 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.