In the realm of culinary delights, the pita sandwich stands as a testament to the harmonious fusion of flavors, textures, and aromas. With its humble origins in the kitchens of the Middle East, this culinary masterpiece has embarked on a global journey, captivating taste buds and hearts alike. Whether you're a seasoned chef or an enthusiastic home cook, the prospect of creating a delectable pita sandwich brimming with roasted eggplant, vibrant peppers, succulent tomatoes, and refreshing cucumbers is an irresistible temptation. Let's embark on a flavorful adventure as we explore the nuances of crafting the perfect pita sandwich, a symphony of tastes that will leave you craving for more.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
LAMB PITA SANDWICHES
Provided by Valerie Bertinelli
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Add the coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of salt to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the spice mixture to the lamb stew meat and use tongs to coat the meat in the spices. Set aside.
- Heat an electric pressure cooker to the sauté setting and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pot. Once the oil is shimmering, add the stew meat in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Brown the meat on all sides, about 4 minutes, then remove to a plate. Add an additional tablespoon of oil, if needed, before adding another batch of meat. Once all the meat has been browned and removed from the pot, add the red wine to deglaze, stirring and scraping the bottom to release any brown bits stuck to the base of the pot. Once the alcohol smell has burned off, 1 to 2 minutes, add the canned diced tomatoes and the browned meat. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and seal. Set to high pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once at high pressure cook for 15 minutes then allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes before manually venting the rest.
- While the lamb cooks, add the fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley, dill, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to a medium bowl. Toss to combine and set aside until ready to assemble.
- To assemble, slice each pita in half and open to create a pocket. Slather each side of the pocket with hummus, then add in a few pieces of romaine lettuce, covering the hummus. Next add a few spoonfuls of the cucumber-onion mixture and top with a few pieces of cooked lamb. Continue the process with the remaining ingredients.
PITA SANDWICHES WITH EGGPLANT, PEPPERS, TOMATOES AND CUCUMBER
Provided by Jill Browning
Categories Sandwich Pepper Tomato Bake Vegetarian Kid-Friendly Yogurt Lunch Mayonnaise Basil Cucumber Eggplant Healthy Bon Appétit Illinois Small Plates
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- for sauce:
- Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, peppers, basil and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. for sandwiches: Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray 2 heavy large baking sheets with vegetable oil spray. Whisk olive oil, vinegar and oregano in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Place breadcrumbs in shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. Lightly dust each eggplant slice with flour; dip eggplant into egg mixture and then into breadcrumbs, coating completely. Place eggplant slices on prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil mixture. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake until brown on both sides and tender, turning occasionally, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool eggplant on baking sheets.
- Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices in each pita. Stuff each pita equally with tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper strips. Drizzle 1/3 cup sauce over filling in each pita and serve.
ISRAELI EGGPLANT PITAS
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 450˚. Toss the eggplants in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until dark brown, flipping halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Gently add the eggs and cook, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil, 9 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. Let stand until cool, about 5 minutes. Peel and slice the eggs.
- Whisk the tahini, 1/3 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 1 more tablespoon of water, if needed, to loosen.
- Halve the tomatoes lengthwise, remove the seeds, chop and put in a medium bowl. Chop the cucumbers and parsley and add to the tomatoes along with the remaining 1 tablespoon each olive oil and lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; toss well.
- Warm the pitas directly on the oven rack, about 1 minute. Spread the pitas with the hummus, then drizzle with some of the tahini sauce. Top with the eggplant and eggs; season with salt and pepper. Top with the tomato-cucumber salad, the remaining tahini sauce and the banana peppers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 642, Fat 38 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Cholesterol 187 milligrams, Sodium 1345 milligrams, Carbohydrate 55 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 20 grams, Sugar 7 grams
EGGPLANT SALSA AND HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS
I was in the produce aisle admiring the beautiful eggplants and I kinda said out loud 'hmmm... wonder what I could do with those?' and a woman answered, 'I always make salsa!' SALSA??? So I figured I give it a shot.. and scribbled down her recipe! YUM!
Provided by PREGOCOOK
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Dips and Spreads Recipes Salsa Recipes
Time 1h40m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Slice the tops off of the eggplants, and place on a baking sheet with the red pepper halves. Drizzle with olive oil to lightly coat.
- Bake for about 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until eggplant is tender. Remove from the oven, and place the eggplant and peppers into a large resealable bag. Seal, and let sit for 15 minutes to loosen the skin. Remove from the bag, peel off the skins, and dice the eggplants and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Place the tomatoes, and garlic in to the bowl with the roasted vegetables, and season with salt, pepper and cilantro. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
- Set the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Peel apart the pita breads into two thin circles. You may cut off the edges to make it easier. Brush melted butter onto what used to be the inside, and stack together. Cut into strips, then cut across at a diagonal to make diamond shapes. If you have kitchen scissors, it will be easy. Place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake the pita chips for 5 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Stir occasionally if they overlap.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 149.3 calories, Carbohydrate 20.5 g, Cholesterol 7.6 mg, Fat 6.9 g, Fiber 5.9 g, Protein 3.6 g, SaturatedFat 2.4 g, Sodium 120.2 mg, Sugar 5.1 g
CUCUMBER PITA WEDGES
I first tasted these delicious snacks at a friend's houses. Of the finger foods she served, this platter was the first to empty.-Grace Yaskovic, Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 10m
Yield 4 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and salad dressing mix until combined. , Split pita breads in half, forming two circles. Spread cream cheese mixture over pita circles; cut each into six wedges. Top with cucumbers; sprinkle with lemon-pepper.
Nutrition Facts :
CHICKEN CUCUMBER PITAS
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, Italian dressing, garlic powder and pepper; pour over chicken mixture and toss to coat. Fill each pita half with a scant 1/2 cup chicken mixture.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 445 calories, Fat 22g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 49mg cholesterol, Sodium 747mg sodium, Carbohydrate 37g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 22g protein.
ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD WITH PITA CHIPS AND YOGURT SAUCE
Provided by Joe Bonaparte
Categories Salad Pepper Tomato Vegetable Appetizer Bake Roast Vegetarian Yogurt Eggplant Bell Pepper Summer Healthy Jalapeño Self Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 28
Steps:
- Eggplant:
- Heat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Poke holes in eggplants with a fork. Roast until they collapse, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut open, scoop out flesh into a bowl and discard skins. Mix flesh with 4 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Let sit 10 minutes. Place flesh in a fine-mesh strainer; press gently with a large spoon, squeezing out moisture. Chop eggplant. Mix in peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, chives, basil, oil and remaining 2 tablespoon lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Yogurt sauce:
- Mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- Pita chips:
- Reduce heat to 350°F. Coat 1 side of each pita wedge with cooking spray. Sprinkle each sprayed side with Parmesan, seeds and black pepper. Bake on foil until crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve eggplant with pita chips and yogurt sauce on the side.
EGGPLANT, ROASTED PEPPER AND CHICKEN PITAS
Mmmmm!! My mouth waters just thinking of this! An Israeli Jewish lady taught this to my grandmother several years ago, and our entire family fell in love with it. It was so good, we served it for a small catered event, and it was a hit. This is for you if you enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine.
Provided by ~marie~
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Middle Eastern Israeli
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Sprinkle sliced eggplant with salt and allow to drain in a colander for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill for medium-high heat (see Cook's Note).
- Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Dredge with flour, shake off excess, dip into beaten egg, then press into seasoned bread crumbs to coat.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown. Set aside.
- Wipe eggplant dry with a paper towel. If grilling, brush slices with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Grill until tender and well marked.
- Crush garlic with a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. Whisk together garlic, red wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil. Slice grilled eggplant into strips and toss with roasted peppers and balsamic dressing; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To assemble, heat pita breads on the grill until hot and marked. Slice chicken into strips and place into warm pitas along with marinated eggplant and red peppers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 492.2 calories, Carbohydrate 60.2 g, Cholesterol 94.3 mg, Fat 18.4 g, Fiber 8.2 g, Protein 23 g, SaturatedFat 3.1 g, Sodium 1753.9 mg, Sugar 8.2 g
Tips:
- Choose the right eggplant. Look for eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size, with smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid eggplants that are soft, spongy, or have brown spots.
- Don't peel the eggplant. The skin of the eggplant is edible and contains nutrients, so there's no need to peel it. Just wash the eggplant thoroughly before cooking.
- Salt the eggplant before cooking. Salting the eggplant helps to draw out the bitterness and make it more tender. Simply sprinkle the eggplant with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Cook the eggplant over medium heat. Cooking the eggplant over high heat will make it tough and chewy. Instead, cook it over medium heat so that it has time to soften and caramelize.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. When cooking the eggplant, don't overcrowd the pan. This will prevent the eggplant from cooking evenly.
- Use a variety of vegetables. Feel free to use a variety of vegetables in your pita sandwiches, such as zucchini, squash, mushrooms, or bell peppers.
Conclusion:
Pita sandwiches are a delicious and versatile meal that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They are easy to make and can be customized to your liking. With a variety of fillings to choose from, pita sandwiches are a great way to get your daily dose of fruits, vegetables, and protein.
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