Homemade Pitas from the Archives

The other day I was driving behind a garbage truck for about a short distance and was horrified to watch the amount of trash fly out the back. One huge cardboard box here, some dirty wrappers there, and an icky looking mass of garbage-goo ended things before I quickly turned off on a side street to avoid anything hitting my windshield.

I don't often drive behind garbage trucks, but it caused me to wonder how often garbage truck mishaps contribute to our streets' and highways' litter . Though I could face fines of $500 for littering, what happens when one garbage truck emits more litter in 5 minutes than could fit in a grocery bag? Doesn't the driver see all of the debris flying out of his truck? Hasn't garbage technology improved to address fly-away trash issues? If any of you happen to have knowledge of the industry, I'd love to know.

Well, enough about trash. I'm sure that doesn't make any of you hungry. What should make you hungry is the thought of fluffy, homemade pitas.

I spotted these awhile ago on Brown Eyed Baker and nearly forgot about how much I wanted them until Elle decided to give them a go. After seeing Elle's fluffy pillows of goodness I couldn't resist. Well, I forgot I even made these & took photos until I started going through my old files. Oh, often forgotten pitas, I have not forsaken you! You're delicious! ...though time consuming!

These guys require quite a lot of rise time, but other than that they're easy to make. You'll be hard pressed to find store bought pitas that are as fluffy and fresh as these so try 'em out.

We ate the pitas the first night with Chicken Shawarma and Tahini Sauce from Cooking Light.

The next day, I used the leftover chicken and added peas, chopped up red bell pepper, onions and sauteed mushrooms to make stuffed pita sandwiches. Topped with Trader Joe's absolutely amazing Cucumber Tzatziki sauce, I was in leftover heaven.

Homemade Pitas from Brown Eyed Baker served with Chicken Shawarma with Tahini Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Sauce:
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini paste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

1. To prepare chicken marinade, combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl (lemon juice through garlic cloves). Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
3. To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove), stirring with a whisk.
4. Over medium high heat, heat oil until glistening. Add chicken and saute until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add peppers and cook 2 minutes. Add peas and mushrooms and cook until all vegetables are cooked through.
5. Either cut a pocket in homemade pitas or place mixture on top of pita for a wrap. Serve with tahini sauce or Trader Joe's Cucumber Tzatziki sauce.