Recipes

With weekend showers predicted for Manila, it’s a suitable time to prep for a group activity with friends or S.O. And if the weather’s making you too lazy to hit up the mall for your go-to comfort food, here’s a recipe that is fun and easy to make together (and TBH just better to make with others because of all the layers it has) that provides the familiar comfort of a mall-resto fave.

It may have many elements, but each part is simple to do.

Café Mediterranean, or Café Med as it is colloquially called, was likely your first introduction to mediterranean cuisine or gyros for that matter (but if you had a different local intro, let us know in the comments). Don’t be intimidated by this recipe’s length: the recipe may have many parts, but each are simple to do. And if you invite 4 friends over, you can do one each, so you’ve not only got a delicious meal to add to your cooking arsenal, but a weekend group activity while you’re at it.

Cafe Mediterranean Chicken Gyro Plate

Serves: 4 people
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium

Chicken Gyro

500g chicken breast, sliced
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

Moutabal

2 medium eggplants
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
Salt, to taste

Tzaziki

1 cup Greek yogurt
½ cup cucumber, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tabbouleh

½ cup couscous, cooked
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Others

4 pcs. pickled chili
Black sesame seeds, for garnish
4 pcs. pita bread, grilled and rolled

Chicken Gyro:

In a large bowl, add the garlic, dried oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, yogurt, salt and pepper.
Mix until well combined.
Toss the chicken in the marinade, cover, and let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to two hours.
In a grill pan over high heat, grill the chicken until cooked but still tender, about 8 minutes.

Moutabal:

Grill eggplants over open flame until charred and softened.
When cool enough to handle, peel skin off of eggplant and place into a bowl with the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
Mash all ingredients together with a fork until well combined but not completely smooth.
Set aside.

Tzatziki:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Set aside.

Tabbouleh:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Set aside.

Assembly:

Divide chicken, moutabal, tzatziki, and tabbouleh amongst 4 plates.
Add one piece of pita and pickled chili to each plate.
Garnish moutabal with black sesame seeds.

Bea Osmeña SEE AUTHOR Bea Osmeña

Bea Osmeña is a healthy-ish eater who is just as likely to take you to a vegan joint as she is to consume a whole cheese pie to herself. A former picky eater, Bea has discovered the joys of savory fruit dishes, but still refuses to accept pineapples on her pizza. On the rare occasion you catch her without food in her mouth, you are likely to find her looking at books she can't afford, hugging trees, or talking to strange animals on the street.