Sometimes you gotta have a little spice in your life. And one of the best parts about learning to cook while on the Autoimmune Protocol is that you definitely learn to cook with some spices. You learn easy substitutions and adaptations to keep foods interesting. Variety is the spice of life; am I right? The hard part about variety and AIP is when you start talking about ethnic dishes. You've got Mexican, Indian, Thai, and Middle Eastern. You've got Greek, Italian, and Persian. And when you're talking about those dishes, you're talking about some mad punch of flavor, but you're also talking lots of nightshades and seed-based spices.
And that's when my little sad face kicks in. But I want spice! I want flavor! I want heat! I can't say I nailed it with this recipe. But I think I came pretty close. Heat is always a little harder to get right, but dang it, we definitely got some spice. And we definitely got lots of flavor!
Chicken Shawarma with Tzatziki Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
¾ tsp tumeric
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp Ceylon cinnamon*
⅛ tsp cloves
⅛ tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
1-1½ lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tbsp coconut oil
In a small bowl, combine all the spices and mix thoroughly. Rub onto the chicken strips and coat heavily, rubbing into the chicken like a meat rub. Don't skimp; aim for using almost all of the spice mix. Marinate for 20-30 minutes at room temp if desired. Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. When hot, add strips to pan and cook on each side 2-3 minutes until cooked all the way through. Serve with desired sides.
I served mine with Simple and Merry's Plantain Wraps and Delicious Obsessions' Garlic Herb Lime Cauliflower Rice (skip the lime).
Tzatziki Sauce
⅓ cup coconut milk kefir
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tsp dried dill (1 tbsp fresh)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried parsley
Sea salt, to taste
Mix all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. (You may choose to add gelatin to thicken as the consistency is fairly runny). Serve over chicken shawarma.
Notes:
*Ceylon cinnamon is somewhat of a speciality spice, but it's worth it. Most cinnamon found and sold in stores is actually cassia cinnamon. Ceylon is considered the true cinnamon. The differences are subtle but noticeable, and I think the Ceylon cinnamon is better for this dish. That being said, if you can't find the Ceylon cinnamon, regular cinnamon will substitute well.
