Stuffed pita

Stuffed pita beats tacos in my opinion, hands down. This lunch-slash-dinner is great for large events because you can prep everything ahead of time and really enjoy your company. You can also stuff pita with most anything, so use whatever is popping in the garden. The important thing here is to make multiple sauces and slather all of them on your pita. I started making stuffed pita after a friend introduced me to Zhoug, a spicy cilantro sauce. Visiting Israel with Emma only amplified my love when we tried Sabich, a ubiquitous type of pita sandwich with fried eggplant, egg, and tahini. Oh, this meal also happens to be vegetarian (and vegan if you swap tahini for tzatziki).

Ingredients

• Pita

  • You'll want to find some good, fresh pita. I prefer fluffy Yemenite-style pita but the choice is yours.

  • If you can't find pita that looks amazing, broil it in the oven to get it a little crispy (like toasting stale bread to bring it back to life).

• Roasted vegetables

  • Eggplant, carrots (e.g. Honey spiced carrots), red onion, and/or peppers.

  • You don't need to overthink it. Oil, salt, pepper, maybe some za'atar, 400F until tender.

  • Roasted tomatoes (350F for 30-40 minutes, lightly salted) is a great addition.

• Falafel (optional)

  • Not entirely necessary, but it can add a great crunch and extra heartiness.

  • Note: you can make the balls ahead of time, freeze, and fry later (A+ life hack).

• Cucumber salad

  • Cucumber, lemon, oil, salt, pepper

• The sauces that really make it sing (make 3!):

  • Zhoug — spicy cilantro sauce

  • Amba — pickled mango sauce

  • Herby yogurt sauce (yogurt, garlic, lemon, herbs, salt, pepper)

  • Hummus or a good tahini sauce (tahini, lemon, water, salt, honey)

Assembly

• Slice a small bit off the end of the pita, large enough that you can open it and reach inside without too much trouble.

• Generously spread your sauces along the inside of the pita.

• Stuff pita with all the fillings.

• Add some more sauce on top.

• Enjoy 😋