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Sunday, May 30, 2010

Grilled Fattoush




I have no idea how I stumbled upon this salad, but I'm thrilled I did. This may be my new favorite salad and will definitely be popping up multiple times this summer. I couldn't get enough of it--the grilled vegetables mixed with the fresh, the tangy lemon dressing, the blends of fresh herbs, the chunks of bread spread throughout. This was absolutely fabulous!

Ryan and I tag-teamed this salad one night when we were in a huge rush after work. Working together, we managed to make it start-to-finish in twenty minutes! We modified the amounts of the ingredients since it was only for two of us and I wasn't sure how leftovers would fare, but I posted the full recipe below. I also used leftover focaccia bread (and didn't grill it), rather than the pita bread, but next time I'll go the pita bread route.

I can't say enough good things about this dish. It's colorful, flavorful, and will make you full! Make it, and make it soon!

Grilled Fattoush
*serves 4-6

Ingredients:
-Olive oil
-4 zucchini
-2 peppers, red and/or yellow
-3 pita breads
-1 1/2 cups cucumber, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
-1 large tomato, chopped (I used grape tomatoes, sliced in half)
-3/4 cup green onions, chopped
-1 cup pitted or halved kalamata olives
-1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
-1/4 cup chopped parsley
-3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 lemon, squeezed
-1 tsp cumin
-salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Heat grill to high. Cut the zucchinis in half (length-wise) and cut the peppers in large chunks. Separate pita layers so that there are 6 totals. Brush everything with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Grill the vegetables for 2-3 minutes, until they are slightly tender. Grill pitas for approximately 1 minute.
2. Mix remaining vegetables and herbs in a large bowl.
3. Cut vegetables and pita bread into bite-sized pieces. Toss grilled vegetables and pita with everything else in the large bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour over salad and mix well. Serve immediately.

This post is linked to Eat at Home.