Best Grilled Zaatar Chicken With Cucumber Watermelon Salad Recipes

WATERMELON-CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Soak 1/2 thinly sliced red onion in cold water. Pat dry 4 cups diced watermelon and 1 seeded and sliced cucumber; toss with a handful of thinly sliced mint. Drain the onion, squeeze dry and add to the salad along with some chopped cashews. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon; season with salt and toss. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TOMATO-CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear to a coarse paste. Put the garlic paste in a large bowl and stir in the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, and dill and toss. Give a couple of generous grinds of black pepper. Toss again, and set aside.
• Preheat a grill pan or nonstick skillet to medium high. Spray the chicken paillards lightly with the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Grill the chicken, in batches if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan, turning once, until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Place each paillard on a plate and serve topped with the tomato-cucumber salad.

GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium-sized pot, bring the pomegranate juice to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer until it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Set the grill temperature to high and let it heat up. Remove the rind. Cut melon in 4 pieces roughly 2-inch by 4-inch rectangles. Brush the watermelon with olive oil and put on the grill for 2 minutes, turning to get grill marks on each side. Salt the watermelon when it comes off the grill. Add the arugula to a medium bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Paint some of the pomegranate syrup on each plate. Top with 4 pieces of grilled melon and 1/8 cup of the goat cheese. Add more of the arugula salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle each salad with balsamic mint syrup and some cracked black pepper. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds around each plate and serve.

GRILLED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN WITH GARLIC YOGURT AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za'atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through.
• While the chicken is cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).
• To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

GRILLED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine cumin, sumac powder, sesame seeds, salt, thyme, oregano, and marjoram in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add grapeseed oil and lemon juice; mix to combine. Add chicken breast, mix with seasoning, and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Spray the grate of the grill with cooking spray, and preheat the grill to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Grill chicken breasts, flipping halfway, until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 7 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).