Brown-Bag Lunches & Snacks
(^38) COOKING LIGHT
Greek Chopped Salad
with Grilled Pita
HANDS-ON 3 0 M I N.
TOTAL 30 MIN.
We take the extra step of grilling the
bell peppers along with the pita
wedges to add a bit of char and smoky
depth to the salad. You could also
broil the peppers in the oven until
blackened and peel them, and then
toast the pita until browned.
Cooking spray
1 large red bell pepper
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup olive oil, divided
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano,
divided
(^1) ⁄ 2 tsp. garlic powder
(^3) ⁄ 8 tsp. kosher salt, divided
3 (6^1 ⁄ 2 -in.) whole-wheat pita rounds
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
(^1) ⁄ 4 tsp. black pepper
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped English cucumber
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp. pitted kalamata olives,
chopped
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted cannellini
beans, rinsed and drained
1 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup)
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high.
Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove
seeds and membranes from bell
pepper; cut into quarters. Add bell
pepper to pan; cook 4 minutes on each
side or until tender and charred.
Remove bell pepper from pan; cut into
bite-size pieces.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1
teaspoon oregano, garlic powder, and
(^1) ⁄ 8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Brush oil
mixture evenly over both sides of all pita
rounds. Add pita rounds to pan; cook 2
minutes on each side or until well
marked. Cut each pita into 6 wedges.
- Combine remaining 3 tablespoons
oil, vinegar, juice, and mustard in
a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir
in remaining 1 teaspoon oregano,
(^1) ⁄ 4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Add
charred red bell pepper, lettuce,
cucumber, tomatoes, olives,
and beans to bowl; toss well to
combine. Divide salad among 4 plates;
top evenly with cheese. Serve with
grilled pita wedges.
SERVES 4 (serving size: about 2^1 ⁄ 4 cups salad and
about 4 pita wedges); CALORIES 396; FAT 19g
(sat 3g, unsat 12g); PROTEIN 12g; CARB 48g;
FIBER 10g; SUGARS 6g (added sugars 0g);
SODIUM 684mg; CALC 12% DV; POTASSIUM
21% DV
Avocado, Sprout,
and Cashew Spread
Sandwich
HANDS-ON 20 M I N.
TOTAL 20 M I N.
This spread uses cashews as its
base but adds in mayonnaise to
make it creamier and easier to slather
on the bread.
CASHEW SPREAD
(^1) ⁄ 3 cup cashews, toasted
(^1) ⁄ 4 tsp. kosher salt
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. canola mayonnaise
SANDWICH
2 (1-oz.) slices whole-wheat bread,
toasted
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup baby radish sprouts
3 radishes, very thinly sliced
(^1) ⁄ 4 ripe avocado, sliced
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup arugula
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
(^1) ⁄ 8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Make the cashew spread: Place the
first 3 ingredients in a mini food
processor; pulse until coarsely ground.
Add 1 tablespoon water and the
mayonnaise; process until smooth.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cashew
spread for another use. - Make the sandwich: Spread 1
tablespoon of the remaining cashew
spread over each bread slice. Top
1 slice with sprouts, radishes, avocado,
arugula, juice, pepper, and remaining
bread slice. Cut in half.
SERVES 1 (serving size: 1 sandwich); CALORIES
356; FAT 20g (sat 3g, unsat 15g); PROTEIN 12g;
CARB 36g; FIBER 7g; SUGARS 5g (added sugars
0g); SODIUM 571mg; CALC 9% DV; POTASSIUM
14% DV
Leftover Avocado?
If you’re using only half
of the avocado, use the
half without the pit first.
The pit doesn’t magically
do anything to prevent
spoilage, but its presence
prevents oxygen from
getting to a portion of the
flesh. And oxygen is what
causes browning. Rub a
little lemon or lime juice
on the flesh, tightly wrap
the avocado half in plastic
wrap, and store in the
refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.