Mediterranean Chicken Pita

 

I have a new found love for Mediterranean food, which may have something to do with the incredibly delicious Garbanzo’s that opened up down the street from my house. For being fast food, you can put together a pretty healthy meal that still fits into a weight loss plan–just avoid the garlic sauce and skip the rice. With all the running I’ve been doing lately, I even get to eat the whole pita (after all, I need those delicious carbs for recovery). But as someone who tries to only eat out once a week (to save my pocketbook and my waistline), my only option to subdue my regular cravings was to come up with a Mediterranean pita recipe of my own. Now I can eat a tasty and lower-calorie version of my favorite Mediterranean meal whenever I want.

 

My recipe incorporates the tangy flavors of traditional tzatziki sauce: yogurt, cucumber, and garlic–just without all the fat. The sauce is mixed with chicken, tomatoes, fresh mint, and pickles. The pickles may sound a little strange, but don’t leave them out–they’re the best part of the recipe! It’s all stuffed into chewy pita bread, which is topped with feta cheese, because what great Mediterranean recipe doesn’t have feta.

 

 

[print_this]

{Mediterranean Chicken Pita}

A Mediterranean-inspired pita sandwich. I save time by cooking all my chicken for the week on Sunday in a crockpot. Once you shred and portion the chicken, you have an easy go-to protein for your recipes. 

 

Adapted from: Mediterranean Chicken Sandwiches

Servings: 4

 

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced into 1 in cubes or shredded

1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or two 5.3 oz individual containers)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp fresh chopped mint (or 1.5 tsp dried)

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 medium cucumber, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cups spinach or lettuce leaves

about 20 dill pickles slices

1/4 cup feta cheese

4 whole wheat pitas

 

Directions

Combine yogurt, vinegar, and spices in a large bowl. Stir in cooked chicken, chopped tomatoes and cucumber.

To assemble

Divide lettuce and chicken vegetable mixture between each pita pocket, top each with 5 dill pickles (or more if you want it tangier), and 2 tbsp feta cheese.

 

Nutrition info per serving with pita: 410, 7 g fat (2 g sat fat), 48g carb, 47 g pro, 8 g fiber

[/print_this]