Tomato-(Spinach)-Mozzarella Pita Sandwich

This little sandwich is easy to prepare, fills you up, and is not too heavy in your stomach. I make a slightly sour, slightly spicy yogurt sauce to serve along with the sandwich to give it that “extra kick.”

I have included the option to use spinach with this sandwich simply because I love doing so. Many kids do not, however, and therefore get a pita sandwich without the spinach. Either way, the sandwich is delicious.

This is one of those cases where the combination of sandwich and sauce makes for a tasteful delight.

Don't be afraid if the sauce, by itself, has a rather sour taste. The ingredients can seem as though they ought not to go together. Chances are, however, that you will be astounded once you put the sauce onto the pita sandwich. The two items truly complement each other in a most unexpected way.

I prefer to make the sauce first to allow the ingredients to steep and impart their flavors. Mind you, the sauce doesn't need to sit endlessly, just for a few minutes while you prepare the sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 gloves garlic

2 Tbs Mayonnaise

2 Tbs Plain Yogurt

2 tsp Apple-Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Heinz Chili Sauce

A few drops of your favorite Hot Sauce (such as Cholula)

3 Pitas Pockets (White, Whole Wheat, Multigrain – whatever you prefer)

2 Cups Spinach (if you want)

1 medium Tomato

4 oz (half a ball) fresh Mozzarella

Salt

Pepper

3 Tbs Olive Oil

Sauce:

Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press into a small bowl.

Add all other ingredients and stir to mix. The sauce should have a slightly pink color.

Set aside.

Pitas:

Lay each pita onto a flat surface. With a bread knife, open up the pita pockets about half-way.

Add spinach to a steamer and steam for three minutes.

Remove spinach from steamer, let cool until comfortable to touch, make a ball out of the spinach, and squeeze all the excess water out.

Place the spinach ball on your work surface and roughly chop it.

Core and seed the tomato.

Finely chop the tomato.

Chop the mozzarella.

Mix spinach, tomato, and mozzarella with your hands.

Add salt and pepper to taste, mix again to blend.

Divide your mixture into thirds and place each portion inside the three pitas pockets.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add one pita pocket and fry until golden. Turn over onto the other side and fry until golden as well.

You pan should be hot enough to cause the mozzarella cheese to melt, but not so hot as to cause the pita pocket to fry to a crisp.

Repeat with remaining pockets.

Serve pita pockets with the yogurt sauce.