Meal for a Friend in Need

When my babies were newly born many years ago, I remember how much prepared dinners brought to us by friends meant to my husband and me in our first days of absolute wonder and minimal sleep. Our sweet neighbors just had a darling baby boy and I wanted to bring them the gift of a ready-to-eat meal while they enjoyed their first few days of new parenthood awe before their own parents arrived to assist. This Greek inspired menu was perfect and easy to package with disposable foil containers. 

My girlfriends joined me at my house shortly after I dropped off the dinner for my lovely neighbors and since I made a big batch, my friends and I were able to enjoy the rest of this delicious meal together on my deck!

Greek Souvlaki Skewers

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-sized pieces

Prepare kabobs: Combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, and salt in a large resealable bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air and seal the bag; marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Soak wooden skewers in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto the soaked skewers. Discard unused marinade.
Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently until browned on all sides and chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes With Garlic and Oregano

3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch cubes

1/3 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½ teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chicken stock

2 lemons freshly squeezed juice

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 9 x 13 " baking dish and pour the oil over them. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat with the oil.

Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Add the stock, toss and bake for 10 minutes more. Add the lemon juice, toss and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked through. If you like, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.

recipe adapted from Epicurious

GREEK SALAD

1 hothouse cucumber

1 red pepper, large diced

1 yellow pepper, large diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halve

½ pound feta, diced

½ cup kalamata olives

For Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ cup good olive oil

Place cucumber, peppers and tomatoes in a large bowl. For the vinaigrette, whisk together garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Still whisking, add olive oil slowly to emulsify. Pour vinaigrette over vegetables. Add feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve room temp.

recipe from Ina Garten

Chocolate Chip Cake Cookie Bars

1 box yellow cake mix

1/3 cup melted butter

2 large eggs, whisked

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13" pan. Combine cake mix, butter, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Scoop dough into pan, press down even with a piece of parchment paper. Dough is a bit stiff.

Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool in pan 15 minutes then slice into squares.

The note of instructions I included with the dinner~

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Dinner for New Parents Cindy and Rob  Congrats on the arrival of baby Alex! August 9, 2022

• CHICKEN SOUVLAKI SKEWERS

• TZATZIKI SAUCE

• NAAN (heat at 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes until warm)

• GREEK SALAD

• GREEK STYLE POTATOES WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

• CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE COOKIES

Enjoy chicken souvlaki skewers with tzatziki sauce, and greek salad with cut pieces of warmed naan and potatoes on the side.

You can also serve the chicken souvlaki skewers wrapped, like a sandwich. Spread some tzatziki sauce on the warmed naan and top with the chicken souvlaki, greek salad and potatoes and wrap. Enjoy!

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I'm so thankful for dear girlfriends!