Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of work from home. For me, that can mean any combination writing, blogging, recipe developing, photography and video content for brands or any of my own social channels.
I love the flexibility it gives me, but without the structure of a traditional job, it’s hard to stick to a good meal schedule. A lot of times, I get so busy that I actually forget to eat (ironic, right?) I’ve learned it’s really important to have easy snacks on hand to eat in between shoots or takes. That’s why I’m super excited to partner with Hood Cottage Cheese. For me, it’s a win-win. I get to come up with delicious recipes, while having a fridge stocked full of a protein-rich snack!
My first recipe post with this product features a super easy-to-make pita wrap that also happens to be high in protein. It’s my take on Greek chicken shawarma in a pita, but instead of traditional tzatziki sauce, I’m using one of Hood’s savory cottage cheese flavors: Cucumber and Dill.
This blog post is sponsored in part by Hood Cottage Cheese.
This recipe is super easy, making it perfect for a quick lunchtime snack. The recipe list is short: about ten ingredients, plus a few pantry staples.
This flavor of cottage cheese really doesn’t need much extra. I added a little lemon zest and lemon juice to add a little brightness to this dish, but feel free to omit and just use Hood Cottage Cheese with Cucumber & Dill on its own! (Click here to find a store near you.)
We will also be using some lemon zest and juice to marinate the chicken strips, along with some olive oil, cumin, paprika, tumeric, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the chicken and allow it to marinate for 1-4 hours.
In order to get the char that you would from a grill or traditional spit, I used a very hot cast iron pan. You’ll want to be careful to use as little of the marinating liquid as possible in the pan, so you can get that nice caramelization. Cook for a few minutes, or until chicken pieces are cooked through, and nicely browned.
All that is left is to fill your pita! I used these mini whole wheat pitas to keep the calories down, but feel free to use whatever you prefer… or even a tortilla if you’d prefer a wrap. Fill the pita with Hood Cottage Cheese, as well as any other vegetables or garnishes you like. I went with thinly sliced cucumbers, a little lettuce and some red onion.
Enjoy immediately! (And then get back to work!)
document.write(”);
For the Chicken:
- 1/2 to 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- zest from 1/2 a lemon (use other half for the wrap)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon tumeric (optional, mostly for color)
- salt & pepper, to taste
For the Wraps:
- 5.3 ounce container of Hood Cottage Cheese with Cucumber & Dill
- zest from 1/2 of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- pita pockets
- cooked chicken shawarma
- other toppings such as: thinly sliced cucumber, red onion & lettuce
For the Chicken:
- Slice the chicken into thin strips and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix together lemon zest, juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika and tumeric in a measuring cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Marinate for 1-4 hours in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to eat, heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Shaking off excess marinade, place chicken in hot pan and sear. Continue stirring and cooking until chicken is cooked through and nicely browned.
For the Wraps:
- Mix lemon zest and juice directly into the container of Hood Cottage Cheese.
- Cut a pocket in the pita and fill with Hood Cottage Cheese mixture, and any additional toppings such as: cucumber, red onion and lettuce.
- Enjoy immediately!
