PITA PERFECTION
This recipe with a searing, refreshing twist is a great meal for summer,
I’m one of those dumb-dumbs who planted mint directly in the garden rather than a container, and now every spring I have enough mint to make mojitos for a royal wedding reception.
Because of that, I’m always looking for ways to use up mint, and one of the easiest is to add it to salads. The fresh, slightly bittersweet taste of mint adds a refreshing kick to chopped tomatoes and yogurt-based sauces and instantly makes me think of the months of warm weather to come.
In this recipe, I added a handful of chopped mint leaves to a bed of greens and chopped tomatoes, which are starting to come in season. For protein, I added strip steak (also called strip loin steak or top loin steak) that’s been kissed by a hot grill, then thinly sliced.
It’s all tossed in a Greek yogurt dressing sweetened with honey and spiced with a pinch of cumin and cayenne for depth.
Finally, I stuff everything into a pita. Because I have zero dexterity and prefer the thinner pitas, I tend to accidentally rip holes in the bread when I try to open the pocket, so I like to stuff the pita halves into each other to make a double layer, preventing anything from falling out of the holes I’ve made.
If you don’t want to use beef, substitute grilled chicken, lamb, firm tofu or 1 cup (250 mL) chickpeas seasoned with a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. If this is for a packed lunch, toss the vegetables and sliced steak and dressing together, but pack the pitas separately to prevent the bread from getting soggy. This recipe makes enough for two regular servings or one super-hungry serving, the latter being my default appetite level.
Grilled Beef Pitas with Spicy Honey-Yogurt Dressing
Star Tested 1/4 cup (60 mL) plain Greek yogurt 2 tsp (10 mL) honey 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cumin Salt and pepper, to taste Cayenne, to taste 3 cups (750 mL) mixed greens 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped packed mint leaves 1 medium tomato, chopped 2 large pitas, sliced in half 8 oz. (240 g) boneless strip steak, trimmed of fat In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, honey and cumin. Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together mixed greens, mint and tomatoes. Set aside.
Take each pita half and stuff it into other half to create a double pocket. Set aside.
Heat a grill or grill pan on high. Season steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
Grill steak to desired doneness, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for an inch-thick (2-1/2 cm) steak for medium doneness.
Remove from heat and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
Add beef and dressing to bowl of greens and toss until everything is lightly coated. Stuff pitas with filling. Serve immediately. Makes 1 to 2 servings.