empañapita recipe

 

empañapita

similar to a Spanish empañada, this empaña“pita” uses pita bread for the shell

2 (6½-inch) whole-wheat pitas

1 C Tangy Salsa (see recipe on page 51)

For filling:

2 C canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed

2 C frozen broccoli, corn, and pepper vegetable mix, thawed (Leftover Friendly)

2 C grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (about 4 small breasts)

½ C shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or substitute 1 tsp dried coriander)

2 Tbsp scallions (green onions), rinsed and chopped (or substitute red onions)

1. Preheat oven to 400 ºF.

2. Combine beans, vegetables, chicken, cheese, and seasonings. Mix well.

3. Cut pitas in half, and open the pockets. Divide filling evenly between the four halves (about 1½ cups each).

4. Place pitas on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling is hot, cheese melts, and chicken is reheated.

5. Serve each empañapita with ¼ cup of Tangy Salsa.

 

Note: If you can’t find beans labeled “low sodium,” compare the Nutrition Facts panels to find the beans with the lowest amount of sodium. Rinsing can help reduce sodium levels further.

Children can help stuff ingredients into the pita pockets.

prep time:

10 minutes

(20 minutes with

homemade salsa)

cook time:

10 minutes

yield:

4 servings

serving size:

1 stuffed pita half,

¼ C Tangy Salsa

each serving provides:

calories 373

total fat 4 g

saturated fat 1 g

cholesterol 34 mg

sodium 374 mg

total fiber 14 g

protein 27 g

carbohydrates 60 g

potassium 741 mg

vitamin A 180%

vitamin C 50%

calcium 8%

iron 25%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.