White Bean & Feta Pita Pockets + 3 Other Mouthwatering Meatless Meals!

  

I think the time may have come for me to start wearing a bib. 

(Aprons are too matronly; I'd rather be a kid).

I was in the midst of preparing these delicious pita pockets last week - a little music going on, slicing and dicing into the tomatoes, squeezing the lemon, drizzling the oil.  All was rolling along tickety-boo until I realized that we were out of milk.  It was pushing up against the dinner hour and my sons were having friends over so I decided to dash out the door and pick up a few things.  Apparently, I neglected to give myself a little once-over before exiting the house.

Not good.

It wasn't until the friendly - and no doubt well-intentioned - produce fellow at the grocery store asked me 'what's for dinner?' with a telling smile that I snapped out of my kitchen coma and realized that I was wearing the recipe on my shirt.  Literally.  Splotches of tomato, streaks of green parsley (likely in my teeth too), and drizzles of oil splattered liberally across my belly.  Even a couple of chunks of Kalamata olive managed to go rogue on me.  I was mortified. 

Briefly.

Then I giggled most of the way home.

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White Bean & Feta Pita Pockets with a Lemon Delicious Vinaigrette

• 2 cups cooked white beans (any variety), well rinsed if using canned
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumpled or chopped
• 1/3 cup purple onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (great way to use up your garden parsley!)
• 3 whole grain pitas, sliced in half

For the Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 heaping tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Sea salt & pepper to taste
  

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Notes:

These pita sandwiches are one of our favourite lunches year-round.  They are so simple and satisfying, not to mention (but I will) bursting with nutrients.  You can use any vegetables you happen to have in the fridge for this recipe - it's a great way to clean house!  Substitute lentils, tofu, tempeh or edamame for the beans, as desired, to create a different taste and nutrient composition each time. 

You can also play around with the dressing to see what works best for you. Here's another one of my favourites: Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Directions:

Makes 6 pita pockets (6 halves).

Assemble ingredients while you cook white beans on stove-top. 

Remove cooked beans from heat.  Rinse the beans in cool water and allow them to drain.  Gently pat dry.





Place beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, onion, olives and parsley together in a large bowl and mix gently to combine.

Meanwhile, assemble vinaigrette ingredients in a small container with fitted lid. Shake well before pouring dressing over salad ingredients.  Mix carefully to combine taking care not to mash contents. The idea is to have just enough dressing to flavour the contents without drenching the pitas.

Distribute the bean mixture among the 6 (or more) pita pockets and enjoy!

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Looking for more mouthwatering meatless meals?

Whether you are a vegetarian or simply wanting to vary your diet and expand your nutrient repertoire, here are some other tasty ideas to keep you motivated. 

Simply click on the titles below for recipes.

Brown Rice & Cannellini Bean Sliders with fresh Peach

Pan Seared Sesame Tempeh

 Spicy Thai Coconut Soup with Ginger, Lime & Vermicelli