Spicy Toasted Pitas Food

SWEET-AND-SPICY TURKEY PITAS

Steps:

• Toast 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder in a skillet 20 seconds; let cool. Mix with 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce and 1/2 cup plain yogurt in a bowl. Add 2 cups chopped leftover turkey and 1/4 cup each chopped scallions and celery. Season with salt and add some toasted walnuts, if desired. Stuff into pitas lined with lettuce.

TOASTED PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut each pita bread in quarters and each quarter in half to make 8 triangles. Place them in a single layer on a sheet pan and sprinkle lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, until crisp, turning once.

SPICED PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a dry small heavy skillet toast seeds over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant, about 1 minute, and cool. In an electric coffee/spice grinder finely grind seeds and salt with paprika and in a bowl stir together with oil.
• Split each pita into 2 rounds and brush rough sides with cumin oil. Cut each round into 8 wedges and arrange, rough sides up, on 2 large baking sheets. Bake wedges in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes total. Cool pita toasts on racks. Pita toasts keep 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

SPICY TOASTED PITAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split pitas in half horizontally; arrange cut sides up on two baking sheets.
• In a small bowl, mix olive oil with curry powder. Brush tops of pitas with seasoned oil; sprinkle with mustard seeds. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.

GRILLED PITA

Steps:

• Whisk 2 1/2 cups flour and the yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the water and mix using a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. The dough should be a little sticky, but soft and able to hold its shape. Add up to 1/2 cup more flour, if needed. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until it's soft, smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer and knead until the dough becomes soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough might be just a little sticky and that's okay.
• Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in a draft-free area, such as a turned-off oven, until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
• Gently deflate the dough by pressing it down with your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and gently flatten. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a cast-iron griddle on an outdoor grill and heat it to medium high (450 degrees F) with the lid closed. Alternatively, you can use a large cast-iron skillet.
• Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out 1 piece of dough into a round about 1/4-inch thick, flipping the dough a few times to prevent it from sticking. Meanwhile, keep the remaining pieces of dough covered with a kitchen towel. Transfer the rolled-out pitas to a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the rounds with a flour-dusted piece of parchment or wax paper between each round to prevent them from sticking.
• Brush the griddle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle a little water on a rolled-out pita and place it on the griddle. You can cook 2 pitas at a time on a grill pan and 1 pita at a time on a cast-iron skillet. Close the grill and cook until there are small light brown spots on the pita, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Some of the pitas will puff up as they cook. Transfer to a platter and cover with a clean towel to prevent them from drying out. Repeat with the remaining rolled-out pitas. (It shouldn't be necessary to re-oil the griddle if it is well-seasoned.) Serve warm.

SPICED PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Spread the pita wedges out in a single layer on the baking sheets. In a small bowl, mix together the za'atar, granulated garlic and paprika. Drizzle the olive oil over the pita, then evenly sprinkle the spice blend over each wedge.
• Bake until golden and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.
• Serve immediately or let cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

SPICY FILLING FOR PITA BREAD

Steps:

• TO SERVE: Medium sized or large whole wheat or white pita bread rounds, cut in half to form semicircles In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, garlic, and celery over medium high heat, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is brown and the onion is tender.
• Drain off and discard any excess fat.
• Stir in the carrot and raisins.
• Add all the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine well.
• Bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the flavours are well blended.
• Remove the bay leaf.
• Serve in pita bread pockets.
• Makes 6 to 8 servings.
• Serve as a light main dish.
• Eat Your Vegetables.

SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN PITAS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cucumbers, sour cream, and dill. Refrigerate until needed.
• Cut the pork across the grain into 1/2-inch cutlets; then slice each piece into thin strips.
• In a large bowl, combine the mustard, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano. Add the pork and toss well to coat all the pieces. Let stand about 10 minutes.
• Coat a large no-stick frying pan with no-stick spray, and place over medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Working in bunches to avoid overcrowding in the pan, add the pork and sauté for about 3 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
• Place peppers and onions in a 9-inch glass pie plate. Cover with vented plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until soft.
• Add the onions and peppers to the pan; sauté for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Top pork mixture with peppers and onions.
• Line the pita pockets with the spinach. Add the pork mixture. Top each sandwich half with a tomato and some cucumber sauce.