Fresh Pita Sandwich

One of the things I miss the most about living in a large city is the availability of foods from different countries. Where we lived in Boston before, I was only 15 minutes away from Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, African, American and just about any other type of food you could think of. These days, I am at least an hour away from any food outside of burgers and pizza so if I am feeling a craving for something different, I either have to gas up the car or make it myself.

This recipe came up after Jim told me about Israeli or Pearl couscous which he had the last time he was traveling for work and was eager to try it at home. I am fortunate to be only 20 minutes away from a very well stocked grocery store that happened to carry it in the bulk bin section (bulk bin sections are their own kind of amazing BTW!) If you have never had pearl couscous, it it larger and bit chewier than the traditional couscous sold in boxes which makes it an ideal filling for a pita.

This pita sandwich takes a new ingredient (pearl couscous) and combines it with common pantry staples to give you a unique and out of this world flavor. My pita sandwich is perfect for those days when there’s a warmth in the air that lets you know that the long days of summer are closer than you think and will remain a perfect light dinner on those nights when cooking may be more than you can muster.

Fresh Pita Sandwich

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Couscous

• 1 cup Israeli pearl couscous
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 of a fresh lemon)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

For the Sauce

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 of a fresh lemon)
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

For the Pita

• 1 package chicken sausage links, prepared using directions on package
• 4 whole pita bread, sliced at the top
• 1/2 of a cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, finely diced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together for the sauce and still well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning based on your preference. When satisfied with flavor, cover and refrigerate
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add couscous and stir continuously for another 2-3 minutes
3. Add chicken broth and raise heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed
4. Stir about halfway through to ensure the couscous does not stick to the pan
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
6. Remove couscous from stovetop and season with remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine, taste couscous and adjust seasonings until desired flavor is reached
7. Place pita bread on large baking sheet and place in the oven to heat for 3-4 minutes or until warm
8. Stuff the pita with couscous, chicken, tomatoes and cucumber and top with prepared and chilled sauce
9. Serve pita with extra sauce on the side and enjoy!

Tips

• If you live in an area where Israeli (Pearl) couscous is hard or impossible to find, it is available online. If you want to make this now or don’t want to deal with mail order food, plain couscous (not the kind with flavor packs) can be used and seasoned per the instructions above.
• I really, really recommend fresh squeezed lemon juice for this recipe but you can sub in bottled lemon juice in a pinch.
• Using chicken broth to boil the couscous in gives it more flavor and just adds a little "something" but if you are out of broth, you can use equal parts water and the couscous will taste just fine.
• The first time I made ths, I served the couscous warm, but it is also quite tasty the next day cold. The spices and flavors in the couscous really stand out when they have been chilled for a bit, but if you prefer it warm, it is quite yummy that way too!
• Cooked chicken breast can be used in this recipe too if you have some on hand. To give it a little kick you can toss it with some olive oil and a bit of the couscous spice mixture and warm it up for a bit.