Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 (15 1/2-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• 3 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (generous 1/3 cup)
• 1 large cucumber, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 2 roasted red peppers (from a jar), rinsed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 (6-inch) whole-grain pita breads, halved

Makes 4 Servings

1. Place onion in a small bowl and cover with ice water; let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Drain onion, pat dry and place in a medium bowl. Add chickpeas, spinach, feta, cucumber, tomato, peppers, olives, oil, vinegar, and cumin; stir gently to combine. Season with cayenne to taste.
3. Fill pita halves with vegetable mixture and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts with pita, 4 pts without pita

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I LOVED this salad because it was colorful, refreshing and it filled me up so much I wasn't hungry. This was my first time eating chickpeas and I must say I really like the chickpeas in this salad. Chickpeas are a type of bean called garbanzo beans. They are legumes that have a mild and nutty flavor and a firm yet creamy texture when you bite into them. Chickpeas are packed with protien, fiber, folate, iron and zinc. This is what I call a sophisticated Greek salad with a little heat. Cumin and cayenne are not the usual flavors of the Mediterranean but they give this salad a little kick. If you don't have any feta cheese, I recommend crumbled goat cheese because it has a nice creamy flavor that blends well with spinach and red peppers. You can also use arugula in place of the spinach if you'd like. Soaking the onions in ice water tames the bite but also give the salad a cool crunch to it. You can also omit the pita and eat the filling as a salad and you will be just as satisfied. Parents, this is also a yummy salad to get your kids to eat.