Hummus-Stuffed Pita with Roasted Vegetables

Roasting the vegetables and serving them warm from the oven makes this stuffed pita sandwich different and delicious.

Ingredients:
For the roasted vegetables:

• 5 cups (1-inch) peeled and cubed eggplant
• 2 cups coarsely chopped red onion
• 1 and 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomato
• 1 cup (1-inch) chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray

For the hummus:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 cups drained canned chickpeas

For the remaining ingredients:

• 4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas

1. To start, coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray and add the eggplant, red onion, tomato, green bell pepper, thyme, parsley, rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tossing to combine.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Note: if you want to eliminate some of the prep work, you can use 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary instead of the fresh.

2. While the veggies roast, make the hummus: combine all the ingredients listed under hummus in a food processor and process until smooth.  If you prefer, you can also prepare the hummus in advance; store in the fridge up to a couple days before assembling the sandwiches.

3. Cut each pita in half.  Spread 1/4 cup hummus into each pita half, and fill each half with 1/2 cup roasted vegetables.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1 pita half), Calories 261

Tasting Notes:
Like I mentioned in the intro, the warm veggies make all the difference; because they instantly heat through the thin pita bread, the entire sandwich grows warm and soft.  The homemade hummus tastes so fresh and light compared to store-bought versions, which I find can be too salty or too tart from lemon. This version was just right, and I loved the toasty cumin flavor.  The sandwich could have used some kind of dipping sauce (made with non-dairy yogurt perhaps) since it was a little dry, but other than that, fantastic. I would play around with different veggies next time, too.  The tender eggplant and sweet tomatoes were great, but I would try artichoke hearts in place of the bell pepper and onions.

Rating:
4