California Chicken Pita

Oh California... sunny skies, blue oceans, inviting beaches... Brings back memories... Oh wait, I've never actually been to California-but I'm pretty sure it's quite similar to what I've described!

Even if you aren't living in sunny California, you can still enjoy a delightful meal named after the Golden State. This pita is amazing! But, if you don't have any pita bread on hand, feel free to use a couple slices of bread, or a bun in its place.

Ingredients (for one pita):
-3 ounces chicken breast (cooked)
-2 Fat Free Swiss Cheese slices
-1 TBSP. Ranch dressing (or a Ranch dip, either way-if you can find a lower fat variety, get it!)
-Spinach
-Tomato slices
-1 Pita Bread


It's pretty straight forward...I'm almost certain any of you could figure it out without directions, but just in case...

Directions:
1. Slice chicken breast in half (so you have two thin fillets, not into two chicken fingers!)
2. Lay 1 slice of Swiss on top each fillet and  microwave (or broil) until cheese melts
3. Slice your pita bread in half
4. Place a layer of spinach into each pita bread half
5. Slide each chicken/cheese fillet into each pita bread
6. Slide a tomato slice in each if desired
7. Broil a few more seconds (this will warm everything and create a crispy pita crust)

I did a few things differently in the California Chicken Pita above... no tomato and I used the chopped chicken we had on hand-still delicious!

Nutritional Info:

Pita Chips

Who likes chips?! Ummm....pretty much everyone in America! But chips are not the most nutritional sound snack you can possibly have. Aside from being low in almost all vitamins and nutrients, they are usually loaded with fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories. (Because really, who sticks to only 13 chips?!)

So I set out to find a Super-food Swap I could switch out my usual potato chips with... after some looking and taste testing I found a perfect fit! They are "Stacey's Pita Chips" and these bad boys are DELICIOUS! I like them with sweet dips, salsa, savory spreads, peanut butter, you name it! (Not to mention, they are amazing on their own!) But...my limited access to Walmart and dwindling funds have led me to look for a pita chip that was still as nutritionally sound as "Stacey's" but easier on my pocketbook and that could be made at home.

Now, while I am still using pre-bought Pita Pockets...it is a step in the right direction! Soon, I will perfect my Pita Pocket recipe and be able to make these from complete scratch...But until then, I will provide you all with the technique I used to bake Pita Pockets into crispy, delectable pita chips.

You will need:
Ingredients:
-Pita Pocket Bread (Here I used Kangaroo brand, they are pretty economical and have an amazing taste-but feel free to use whatever kind you like or have on hand)
-Cooking Spray (I like to use Pam, but again-"To each his own..."

Directions:
1. Take your pita pocket pieces and cut them in half (if they are not already pre-cut)
2. Cut each of those halves into equal sized pieces (I made 4 out of each half)
3. Since they will be connected on the bottom, either break apart or slice (I now had 8 pieces out of one half of pita pocket bread) Make sense?? I hope so!

4. Arrange your pita pocket triangles on a wire rack placed atop a cookie sheet
5. Lightly spray with your cooking spray
6. Turn each triangle over and spray lightly again

7. Bake on 400* for about 10 minutes...they will start to brown around the edges
8. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes! This is vital! I don't want you to burn your tongue! :)

MMMMmmmmmm!
These are soooo good with Cowboy Caviar! (Recipe coming soon!)

Of course your nutritional information will differ based upon what type of pita bread you use and how many pieces you cut them into

Here is the nutritional facts for 1 pita pocket, which is actually 1/2 disc of the Kangaroo Brand