Sunday Special: Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

. Iiiiiiiiiit's back!

Now I can't say for how long, but I'm hoping that [healthy] Sunday Specials will be making a comeback.  We'll see how that goes though.  I know Robbie is keeping his fingers crossed, despite my big Sunday Special comeback being a bit of a flop.  Well, kind of.

You can probably guess I wasn't too ecstatic about the recipe we'll be going over in this post.  But I still feel like it needs to be shared, because even though it wasn't my absolute favorite, it was still very good, light, and perfect for summer affairs.  Hmm, as in BBQs and picnics I mean.

I had this clear vision of what I wanted last weekends' dinner to be like, something that resembled a dinner Robbie and I had a while back at Greek restaurant.  I wanted a dish that was cool and refreshing.  Don't ask me why, because I couldn't tell you why.  Oh wait...yes I can.  How about the [on average] 95°F weather + humidity we've been having lately?  Oh yeah, that was it!

The key to this whole dish is that intriguing Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.  At least that's what caught my attention.  It's that 'cool' and 'refreshing' element, perfect for the hot summer days we've been experiencing.  And when I say 'cool', I really do mean it.  This little concoction has pieces of cucumber [surprising], a little cumin, and mint.  Yes you read right: fresh, cool, mint.

The chicken itself is beyond ridiculously easy.  Even Robbie and I figured it out.  A little pepper, a few minutes [both sides] on the grill, a quick slather of some yogurt sauce [pre-cukes], and voila!  Quite possibly, no, THE easiest thing I have made thus far.  Maybe 20 minutes of prep and cooking and the chicken was ready for chow time.  I would like to note that I served the chicken with some brown rice and rolls but you could really pair this with most anything I guess.  Chef's choice!

Grill Master!

So what was it about this meal that didn't really strike a note with me?  It wasn't necessarily the recipe, but I think what I had envisioned I would be getting from the sauce was a little different than what we actually got.   I was aiming for something more like tzatziki but the flavor was not quite the same.  And as for the brown rice?  Not a fan.  Going from the soft, sticky rice I grew up on to brown rice is kind of a recipe for disaster though.  They just don't really compare.  However, while we were eating and in an effort to avoid eating my brown rice [as if I couldn't have dessert if I didn't eat my grains!], I started to cut up the chicken and place it [with some sauce] onto my rolls.  And that's where it was at.  Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce?  Yes, please!  So next time around, that is what we'll be having .

My Notes:

• It didn't seem like the original cucumber yogurt sauce recipe was going to be enough for us [remember, we eat as if there are five people in our house], so I doubled it.  It also is the where the majority of the flavor comes from, so I thought this was a wise decision.

Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

From Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients:

1 (6 oz.) jar plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
2 tsp. snipped fresh mint
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. chopped, seeded cucumber
4 small skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/4 lbs.)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, green onions, mint, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Transfer half of yogurt mixture to a small bowl; set aside.  Stir cucumber into remaining yogurt mixture.  Refrigerate cucumber yogurt sauce until ready to use.
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with pepper.  Place chicken breasts on grill and cook first side for 6 to 7 minutes.  Turn chicken breasts over and brush with reserved yogurt mixture.  Grill for 6 to 7 minutes on second side or until no longer pink.  Serve chicken with cucumber yogurt sauce.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 159 ; Total Fat 2g (Saturated Fat 1g) ; Cholesterol 68mg ; Sodium 251mg ; Carbohydrates 5g ; Protein 29g