Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad Recipes

Steps:

• If your pita breads are hard, break them up into pieces. If they are not, cut them into quarters and split the quarters open. Toast the pieces in a toaster oven, or in a 325ºF oven, until lightly browned and crisp.
• Combine the garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, yogurt, and pepper in a small bowl.
• Toss the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Just before serving, add the dressing and toss together. Crumble in the pita bread and toss again. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Steps:

• Chill the chick peas and beans for as long as possible. Steep couscous in boiling salted water.
• In a blender or food processor or by hand, blend until smooth the tahini paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, lowfat yogurt, parsley, olive oil, grated lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add the chilled beans to the dressing and walnuts. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add to beans and walnuts; toss the ingredients together and adjust the seasoning.
• On each dinner plate make an outer wreath of dressed greens, an inner wreath of mixed grilled vegetables of choice and center couscous and chick peas in the middle. Garnish top with roasted red peppers.

Steps:

• Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.