After our recent reader trip to Greece, I came back inspired by the simple, elegant, healthful Mediterranean diet.

My son came back wanting souvlaki and tzatziki, which he learned to make in a cooking class in Olympia.

So for a recent family meal, we took what we learned in Greece and made a fabulous meal. We started with chicken souvlaki — the Greek version of kebabs — and served those with a fresh Greek salad and that fabulous tzatziki.

We accompanied this menu with some small flatbread from St. Paul Flatbread Company, and because I cannot get enough of it, their creamy, dreamy garlic sauce, both of which are completely optional. You could also serve rice with the meal if you want some carbs and don’t care for flatbread or pita.

The souvlaki ideally should marinade for a few hours, but even 30 minutes is enough to impart great flavor and tenderize the chicken. Don’t skip the squeezing of the shredded cucumber for the tzatziki or the yogurt sauce will be too thin. Otherwise, this is a quick, delicious, healthful meal that our entire family devoured.

Chicken Souvlaki

Chicken souvlaki. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

If you’re using bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading the chicken onto them.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Metal or bamboo skewers

DIRECTIONS

Mix together olive oil, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, add chicken, mix well and marinade for
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers (pre-soak for 30 minutes if using bamboo skewers).
Grill, turning skewers every few minutes, until chicken registers 170 degrees on a digital thermometer and has some char on the outside. Serve immediately.

Greek Salad

The social media trick of placing your cherry or grape tomatoes between two plastic lids to slice them works wonders here.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:

1 seedless cucumber, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ large red onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the dressing:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
Toss salad ingredients with dressing and serve immediately.
Salad keeps for a few days in the refrigerator if you have leftovers.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

This is an adaptation of the recipe my son helped make at a cooking demo at the Hotel Pelops in Olympia, Greece. The author adds a pinch of sugar, but we prefer it without.

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 carrot, finely grated
1 seedless English cucumber, grated and squeezed to release the extra water
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together. Adjust seasonings and olive oil to your preference and serve immediately.

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