Greek Fit-for-the-gods Salad With Spicy Cucumber Dressing

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 pita bread rounds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 4 vine-ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 celery ribs, from the heart thinly sliced at an angle
• 1 red bell peppers (seeded, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced) or 1 green bell pepper (seeded, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced)
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup greek-style plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1/2-1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 lb feta, crumbled
• 8 jarred pepperoncini peppers (hot peppers)
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olive
• 8 jarred grape leaves or 8 store-bought stuffed grape leaves, drained

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400°.
• 2 split the pitas open into 8 halves.
• 3 lay the bread out on your countertop, insides facing up.
• 4 in a small bowl, mix together the paprika, thyme, oregano and cinnamon. sprinkle the spices evenly over the split bread.
• 5 place the bread on an oven rack and toast until golden and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• 6 remove from the oven and tear into jagged pieces about the size of tortilla chips and reserve.
• 7 on a large serving platter, combine the tomatoes, half of the cucumber, and the onion, celery, bell pepper and parsley, season with salt and pepper.
• 8 to a food processor, add the remaining cucumber, the yogurt, cumin, garlic, lemon juice and tabasco sauce and a little salt.
• 9 process the ingredients, adding the olive oil in a thin stream until smooth; taste the dressing and adjust the seasonings.
• 10 arrange the pita crisps on the salad, then drizzle the dressing all over. finish off your salad with a pile of the feta, pepperoncini and olives.
• 11 serve with the stuffed grape leave on the side.