Pita Sandwiches With Eggplant Peppers Tomatoes And Cucumber Recipes

LAMB PITA SANDWICHES

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

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

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.

EGGPLANT SALSA AND HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS

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.

CUCUMBER PITA WEDGES

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.

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.

ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD WITH PITA CHIPS AND YOGURT SAUCE

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

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.