Okay, I’m totally going to cheat on my first recipe selection. It requires no cooking, only the toasting of pita bread. Truth be told, it’s not even necessary.
My friend Lisa has made this salad a couple of times and it is wonderful. This salad is filled with crisp cucumbers, sun ripened tomatoes and fresh herbs topped with a simple dressing. It’s a great salad for lunch or side salad for dinner. Not to mention it is a very diet friendly option.
Living in New Jersey we have fabulous tomatoes so why not take advantage of the summer’s best crop!
Toasted Pita Salad – Cooking Light Magazine August 2009
This Mediterranean-style salad highlights the pungent slightly peppery Tang of oregano- marjoram would also make a milder substitute.
2 six inch pitas split horizontally
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 ½ cups chopped English cucumber
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
2 tbs. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. each of salt and pepper
½ tsp. honey
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Bake pita for 10 minutes or until crisp. Cool and break into small pieces.
3. Combine tomatoes and next 4 ingredients (through parsley) in large bowl. Combine lime juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl stirring with a whisk.
4. Pour juice mixture over tomato mixture, toss gently.
5. Add pita pieces and toss. Let stand 10 minutes before serving
Bloggers Note :
Lisa takes this salad a step further and adds a block of fat free or low fat feta cheese to make it even more delicious. Enjoy!
Next week:
A review of Ina Garten’s Back to Basics cookbook.