Today marks the seven year anniversary of me packing my bags and shipping off to London for four months abroad.
Studying abroad in London and being able to take weekend trips to various European countries fully fueled my culinary passion. I lived for the food. Even the notoriously bland food of London was amazing. Mushy peas was and continuous to be one of my favorite side dishes. London also gets my passion for vinegar. I tried to consume as much local food from countries as I could. As you can imagine, I ended up with some very nostalgic food memories. Eating beef bourguignon in Paris, trying Sangria after I was done with my antibiotics in Barcelona, and believe it or not, loving a bowl of sauerkraut along with a giant soft pretzel in Munich. However the best best best food experiences, was the late night bites.
Mom, I'm sorry but having just turned 20 and being transported to a country with a legal drinking age of 18, with your best friends was amazing. I had a different mind, and body as a matter of fact, when I was in London. Probably due to the fact that I was 20 years old. I could stay out till 3am, pass out in my top bunk bed, wake up at 6am to board a train for 1 1/2 hours and work a full day. Now, if I have more than one glass of wine, I wake up at 11:30pm, parched, feeling like all of the water has been sucked out of my body, along with my life. If I go out to happy hour, I worry about being able to have the correct mindset to feed my cat dinner. In London, the dean of our college would email us at 8:30pm reminding us to take what he called a "disco nap" so that we would be energetic enough to go to the clubs at 1am. Let me reiterate, how much of a different person I am now.
I think the one thing that still holds true to my personality seven years ago, is my need for late night food. The thing that powered me while in London, was the need to grab a late night bite. The options were limitless. The thought of leaving a club, feeling of defeat and regret, left a void in my body that was filled by food (after all it was almost 4am). Now before you call Dr. Phil on me, think back to your college days. I don't know anyone who avoided the post party cravings. The thing was that we were in Europe. Instead of pizza and wings, we had limitless options of falafel wraps, kebabs, and waffles. There was a 24 hour restaurant that offered steak tartare. I stand by the fact that it was necessary and quality because, I actually lost 15 pounds while studying abroad. It had nothing to do with the excessive walking, all about the food. Looking back, it was the shawarma that made my heart and stomach full in the wee hours of the morning. It has been something I have strived to replicate for these seven years. Of course I rarely enter the mindset of my twenty year old self, demanding food at 4am. Instead, I experience those craving at 4:45pm. Early bird special anyone?
Shwarma is as fun to make as it is to say. As somebody who struggles with making recipes simple, this spice bomb blend is right up my alley. I'm always cooking pretty late at night, and never have time to marinate things. Yet, the flavors on this chicken are so epic, you really need to give it time to work its way into the meat. You won't regret it. This chicken is oven-baked so it is definitely on the healthier side. I added my chicken shwarma to a pita wrap, topped it with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and onion for a real European late night treat, or perfect lunch, for you older folk. Mix in greek yogurt, lemon and tahini as a sauce and it's almost like I am young again.
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 lemons juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large red onion sliced
Toppings:
pita bread
romaine lettuce
diced tomatoes
tahini spread
In a medium sized bowl, combine chicken, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, paprika, pepper, salt, tumeric, garlic powder, and red pepper. Cover with saran and marinade for 1 - 3 hours, over overnight in the fridge. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken mixture in a shallow 9x13 baking dish. Mix in the sliced onions. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until chicken is browned and crisped. If needed, you can broil chicken so that it becomes more charred. Serve as is or sliced into bite sized pieces with pita bread and desired toppings.
2 lemons juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large red onion sliced
Toppings:
pita bread
romaine lettuce
diced tomatoes
tahini spread
In a medium sized bowl, combine chicken, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, paprika, pepper, salt, tumeric, garlic powder, and red pepper. Cover with saran and marinade for 1 - 3 hours, over overnight in the fridge. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken mixture in a shallow 9x13 baking dish. Mix in the sliced onions. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until chicken is browned and crisped. If needed, you can broil chicken so that it becomes more charred. Serve as is or sliced into bite sized pieces with pita bread and desired toppings.
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