I love themed meals...

You know, when every dish compliments each other perfectly and helps bring you to a place that maybe you've never been before right from the comfort of your own home...

This just happens to be one of those meals...

Taking a little inspiration from my love of all Mediterranean cuisine, I first decided on what my main dish might be...

After some time (and truth be told, watching a bonus scene from the Avengers movie which referenced it) I picked "Chicken Shawarma" as my main entree—now there's more then one way of tackling this Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dinner dish but lacking a vertical spit and broiler, I looked into oven roasting as my preferred cooking method...

*"Harrissa Hummus, Olives, Chicken & Pita"*

Now it was on to the spices for the marinade; using a mix of different regional varieties from Saigon Cinnamon, Ceylon White Pepper and Turkish Cumin all the way to Indian Turmeric, Hungarian Paprika and Aleppo Red Pepper (which is becoming tougher to find because of the unrest in Syria but which has an incredible subtle smokiness it imparts to this dish) each of these adds just the right amount of depth and flavor to the chicken...

Spicy & Delicious" — *Spicy & Delicious"*

After resting overnight in that incredible blend of spices and the Athinoelia olive oil I get from a local store called "The Crushed Olive"—it was time to give it one last stir with a quartered red onion before spreading it on a baking sheet to roast...

In no time at all the house had filled with the most delectably delicious aromas, I almost lost patience waiting for it to be done it smelled so good—but given that I would just have to wait, it gave me the time I needed to prepare and arrange all of my other regional cuisine for the night...

This consisted of tabbouleh, fattoush, tzatziki, feta, olives and harrisa hummus to serve along with the lavash and pita breads—I will be sharing those with you as well, but over in the "Recipe Redux" section of the blog...

Just in time my chicken was finished; so sliding it out of the oven, I began chopping and slicing it into little chunks of mouthwatering goodness...

Definitely worth the effort, definitely a healthy Mediterranean dish and oh so "Definitely Delish"

*"Chicken Shawarma, Tabbouleh, Fattoush, Olives, Feta, Pita & Hummus"*

"Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma"

Ingredients:
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Athinoelia Olive Oil (Premium Greek EVOO I get it at "The Crushed Olive")
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon Himalayan or Red Hawaiian Sea Salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground Ceylon White Pepper
2 teaspoons ground Turkish Cumin
2 teaspoons Szeged Hungarian Paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground Indian Turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of Aleppo Pepper flakes, or more to taste
2-3 pounds boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, thighs or mix of the two
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian Parsley

Directions:
1. Prepare the marinade for the chicken by combining the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon and aleppo pepper flakes in a large bowl, whisking together to combine...
2. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight...
3. When ready to cook, remove from fridge a half hour ahead of time, then heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit...
4. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it...
5. Put the chicken in the oven on the upper rack and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes...
6. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.)
7. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, lavash or flatbread, tzatziki sauce, olives, feta, tabbouleh, fattoush (salad with radish and fried flatbread) and harrisa hummus — really anything you desire...