Hearty Vegetarian Pita Pockets with Warm Roasted Mushrooms & Feta

Here’s a delicious and cost effective vegetarian recipe that you are sure to love!

It's so versatile it's bound to please everyone at your table. It can easily be made gluten free by serving it as a salad and omitting the pita bread. It can also be made nut free by substituting the almonds for more chickpeas (or sunflower seeds), and dairy free by leaving out the feta (or serving it on the side). Meat eaters and vegetarians alike are sure to be satiated by the hearty warm roasted mushrooms and seasoned chickpeas.

To save time you can prep the dressing and kale salad (minus the mushrooms and the cheese) up to a day ahead of time.

Hearty Vegetarian Pita Pockets with Warm Roasted Mushrooms & Feta
prep time: 25 min

Ingredients:
4 whole grain pita pockets

For the salad filling:
4 cups cremini mushrooms
1/2 red onion, chopped into bite size pieces
4 cups kale (any variety works)
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 large minced clove garlic
1 tablespoon honey or other sweetener
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon feta cheese (or other hard cheese)
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

For the “meat”:
1 cup low-sodium chickpeas (rinsed and drained well if canned)
1 cup raw almonds
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt



Directions:

Gently clean mushrooms by wiping the dirt off with a paper towel (don’t rub to hard or you may lose some nutrients). Now, wash your kale very well under cool running water (it can be quite dirty) and let dry completely using a salad spinner or laying the leaves flat on rag or paper towel. Once your kale is clean you will need to derib it. This means removing the tough center stem. This can be done with a knife or by hand (I prefer by hand). Gently tare the leaves away from the stem, starting from the bottom, and then tare those leaves into smaller, bite size pieces.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees


Mix all ingredients for your dressing in a blender until emulsified or use a bowl and whisk. You’ll know your dressing is emulsified when it looks creamy. Put your kale in a large serving bowl and coat with your desired amount of dressing. It should be enough that the leaves glisten and are well coated. Cover bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for 20 min. The purpose of this is to break down some of the fibers in the kale, which can be tough to chew and digest. If you are willing to get your hands dirty, you can massage your dressing into the kale for faster marinating time. When the kale is ready the color will turn a darker shade of green and be fairly easy to tare by hand.

While your kale is marinating, roast your mushrooms. Lay them on a lined baking sheet and place in oven until the juices begin to release, about 10 min. After your mushrooms are in the stove, toast your almonds. Place almonds in a skillet on medium heat until they become golden brown and fragrant. Slightly lower heat and add olive oil. Then add chickpeas, followed garlic and seasoning. Sauté the almonds, chickpeas and garlic for about 3-5 min. Stick your pita bread in the oven to warm up. (about 5 min)

Remove mushrooms from the oven and chop.

 Add mushrooms, feta and onion to the kale and toss well. Stuff pitas with salad mixture and seasoned chickpeas & almonds. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Today, I review an easy and delicious recipe by Melissa d'Arabian of the Food Network. (You can find the original recipe here). My inspiration for reviewing this dish comes from Chelsi Myer, a Family and Consumer Science agent at the Dickinson County K-State Extension program in Kansas. Recently, Chelsi decided to pledge a "Junk Food-Free January," and she has been recruiting others to do the same — myself included. To help us stay on track, she has been sharing some wonderful recipes. Thanks, Chelsi, for sharing such a flavorful and versatile recipe!

Chelsi suggests swapping out the chicken thighs used in this recipe for chicken breasts. I couldn't agree more, as this results in a leaner source of protein. Other healthful hints include swapping some of the ingredients for lower sodium options. Here are some examples:

• Low-sodium black beans can be found at most grocery stores. However, you can also rinse a regular can of black beans to cut sodium almost in half. (Black beans should be rinsed thoroughly regardless for optimal flavor). You can also use dry beans you make at home and skip the salt completely.
• Low-sodium diced tomatoes can also readily be found. This recipe calls for a 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. I used a combination of fresh tomatoes and low-sodium diced tomatoes, and I skipped the green chilies.
• Low-sodium tortilla chips are the best choice to top this soup. I used a blue corn variety, which added some nice color.
• Low-sodium chicken broth can also be found! Check the labels for low-sodium options. 
• Add extra veggies to lower overall sodium and boost this soup’s nutrition (and flavor). I used what I had in the fridge, which included 2 diced celery sticks, 1 diced green bell pepper and about 1/2 cup frozen corn.

Another swap is to skip the chicken and make this a vegetarian soup. (I would add brown rice if you are skipping the chicken. Why? Black beans + brown rice= a delicious  complete protein.)

For better flavor and consistency of your chicken, you will probably want to braise it. Braising makes a lean, tough cut of meat flavorful and tender. This can easily be done by heating up your stovetop to high and coating a pan with 1 tablespoon canola oil. (The pan should be wide enough to fit the chicken breasts flat without overcrowding them). Sear each side of the chicken breasts for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the surface but not cooked through. Remove from pan and add to a preheated slow cooker, with liquid added, on the low setting. Other flavor-enhancing tips include: 

• Sautéing onions, garlic and pepper before throwing them in the slow cooker. This will deepen the flavor of the whole dish. This can be done in the same pan as your chicken, after you have cooked it. 
• Adding 1/2 teaspoon oregano or Mexican oregano, if you can find it.
• Swapping lemon juice for lime juice if you prefer it.
• Using different beans, such as pintos or a mix of beans.
• Topping the soup with chopped green onions and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Have you tried this recipe and made any of your own changes? If so, I'd love to hear about them! Please leave any of your own suggestions in the comments.