Minichefs: pita pockets

Pitas are a perfect vessel for inspiring lunches and easy picnics. Simply dice, slice and stuff a pocket full of goodness and embrace the middle eastern flat bread with its handy pocket (created by steam which puffs up the bread and creates a space that flattens as it cools).

In this minichefs adventure, pitas took centre stage at a dead simple picnic lunch, popular with our little folk who were able to do everything from start to finish.

Ingredients used:

Cooked chicken breast
Lettuce
Tomato
Carrots
Cheese
Creamed Cottage Cheese
Humus
Mayonnaise
Plain Yoghurt
Mini Pita Pockets (R17.95 for a pack of ten from Woolworths)

Tools used:
Knives
Grater
Serving bowls

Recipe:

1. Chop lettuce, tomato and peppers
2. Grate carrots and cheese
3. Mix some chutney in with the cottage cheese
4. Shred cooked chicken and mix with mayonaise and plain yoghurt
5. Lay all the ingredients out on a picnic blanket and let the children stuff their own pitas (do your best to hijack only every second pita for yourself).
We kept the ingredients quite simple, but you could take things up a gourmet notch and experiment with the likes of mozzarella and fresh basil; bacon and glacéed fig; biltong and blue cheese or Camembert and cranberry coulis.

We hope this inspires some pita picnics over the long weekend, enjoy folks.