Call me a sports junkie, call me a health nut, I will not take offense because it’s true. There can be no neighborhood flag football, softball league or beach volleyball without me playing or cheering on the sidelines. Of course physical activity is great for both body and spirit, but one can not forget about the benefits of just hanging out and having fun with good friends in the beautiful outdoor. Playing is great, and it gets even better when you have something delicious in one hand and are reaching for something even tastier with the other.
A group of us meet on the fields or the beach at least once a week for some friendly competition, and afterwards we discuss all best and funniest plays over some home made goods. When we started out we would go to a local diner or get a few pizzas, but soon it turned out boring. After all there are limited menu choices. So we decided to experiment in our own kitchens to see what comes of it.
When it was my turn, I have to admit my mind went blank. I wanted to make something that would not require plates, forks or reheating. I came up with sandwiches. I know, does not sound innovative, interesting or fun, but turns out it’s all in the little twists on the classics.
First thing I did was reconsider bread. Sure, a classic sandwich has to have two slices or a bun, but I was done with classics. And then I found delicious pita bread (there was also one in low glycemic version - diabetic friendly pita bread). This was going to be my thing. In a cooking and shopping frenzy, I bought different flavor pita and everything that came to my mind for stuffing. I guess sometimes it is beneficial to go shopping when you are hungry.
I was afraid that my pita bread sandwiches would get soggy or messy if I put them together at home, so I opted for a do-it-yourself buffet. I chopped, mixed, julienned, grilled and cut for 40 minutes, but ended up packing a picnic basket and a handy cooler full of goodies.
When I let everyone know we’re having sandwiches, they were not upset, but definitely not excited either. Only when they saw little jars of sauces, boxes of grilled veggies and sausages, a selection of julienned ham and shredded cheeses, did they start wondering how it was all going to stay on their bread. To their surprise, I pulled out different flavors of pita bread cut in half, and we all started experimenting.
It turned out that pita bread “pockets” are actually way more convenient for an outdoor meal than bread, because anything and everything you stuff it with, stays in. I have to say, a whole wheat pita spread with some sour cream, filled with grilled peppers, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, ham and cheese was delicious. So delicious, in fact, that a few days later I prepared a similar selection of stuffing for an afternoon with my friends, only this time I made it more girlie by reaching for little bite size pita bread. And I found out that girls preparing their friend’s surprise party can eat just as much as guys after playing football.