Protective Diet Class #330

Puffing Pita on the Grill with Quick Mix Tzatziki Sauce

Pita Bread puffs at the oven’s hottest setting—but ovens are off for the summer in the high desert. The outdoor grill is our plant-based friend. Grilled Pita Bread makes the perfect sandwich when dill, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and garlic are at their finest.

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• Take advantage of current savings on Protective Diet Plant-Based Broth Mix.

Vocabulary

Sulforaphane

Anthocyanin

Polyphenol

Vitamin D

Microbiome

Action Steps for Summer Pita Bread

A Protective Diet Summer Summer abounds with the natural protection in sunshine, fresh fruits and vegetables, and outdoor spaces teaming with life. PD-Ed students take advantage by getting outside as much as possible to boost our microbiome and natural vitamin D synthesis.   Protective Diet and Lifestyle Practices that Soak Up the Benefits of Summer: Collect Nature’s microbes to boost your own microbiome—eat the stems, cores and skins of organic produce. Go to natural, untreated spaces and take off your shoes. Touch the sand, trees, garden soil, lake water, pets, etc. Keep the windows open to get the microbes from nature flowing into the house.Cook and eat outdoors. In the high desert, we grill and grill and grill all summer long until the first frost in October.Get daily doses of safe sun exposure to produce and bank Vitamin D naturally (vit. D supplements are not effective):Keep chemical sunscreen off your body. Chemicals kill healthy microbes. Defend against the negative impacts of the sun with foods & beverages that contain the protection we need. Drink Flower Water/Blue Chai, which contains polyphenols that protect us from the free radicals of the sun.Eat fruits and vegetables (watermelon, apricots, grapes, berries) which are also loaded with polyphenols.Lie out in the sun, and wait to shower. Vitamin D synthesis continues post sun exposure as long as we do not shower because there are microbes on the surface of our skin that help the production process.   For more information, watch:   Class #311 Time Sensitive Immune Boosting Benefits of Summer AND                                                         Sunset Summer Rice Bowl and the Butyrate Bath–YouTube

• Make Pita Bread on the Grill
• The grill is your friend during hurricanes and power outages, or on hot days when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
• Whole Wheat Pita Pocket Bread is Julie Marie’s favorite bread. Both the Pita Bread recipe and demo are FREE.
• Grilling Pita Bread takes your undivided attention. The bottoms might burn on your first try, but don’t get discouraged. It will still be the best bread you’ve had in a long time. Every grill is different. It’s so worth it to get to know yours.
• A canister with a towel in the bottom can hold steaming hot pitas. Use a spatula rather than tongs to prevent piercing.

This is a 1-Hour Make-Ahead Meal
Prep Dough	Follow FREE recipe guidance to mix dough, knead 3 minutes, and let rise 1-hour.
Prep Meal Components	Salad-spin romaine, slice tomato, onion & cucumber, make Quick-Mix Tzatziki SauceBake Gyro Crumbles or Strips in the Toaster Oven/Air Fryer during the cool morning hours.
Prep Grill	Preheat the grill to 400°. This temp is lower than the indoor oven temp on the recipe.Use a cast iron surface over the grill rack if the rack is oily or used to cook animal products.
Puff Pita on the Grill   If you are in a small apartment, you probably have great central air—just bake pita in the oven. Don’t go out & buy a grill.	After rising, knead dough again for 3 minutes. This is the key to a perfect puff.Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Dip in flour and roll. This is a rewarding active meditation.Roll dough from the center out. If rolling dough outside, it may be drier than usual.Roll all pita before you start grilling because they cook so fast—2 minutes each. Use a timer!If the grill is too hot, open it and let it cool off a little bit. You may need to turn it down.

Gyro Salad—layering suggestions

• Toss the lettuce with Plant-Based Quick Mix Tzatziki Sauce in a big mixing bowl. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Slice onions and cucumber and toss with Tzatziki Sauce in a mixing bowl. Spoon on top of lettuce in serving bowl.
• Add Gyro Crumbles (do not toss crumbles in dressing). Use enough to make it look meaty.
• Top with sliced fresh garden tomatoes. Leave undressed and arrange in clusters for better eye appeal.
• Top with 7-Day Sauerkraut, Protective Sprouts, Probiotic Pickled Onions and Probiotic Pepper Sauce.
• Serve with grilled Whole Wheat Pita Pocket Bread on the side.

Gyro Sandwich—serving suggestions

• Do not cut pita. It should be thick and soft. Add Tzatziki Sauce, onions & tomatoes. Add Gyro slices or Crumbles. Serve with optional toppings: 7-Day Sauerkraut, Protective Sprouts, Probiotic Pickled Onions served with Probiotic Pepper Sauce
• Open ferments in the kitchen away from guests. They may not be ready for the smell coming from the jar. Transfer portions to small dishes and bring to the table on a tray. Guests can add their own ferment tastings to their individual plates.
• Step it up if you want others to get on board with PD. Make it look pretty. Make it look like you’re eating at a restaurant.
• Be excited. Make it sound appealing. Take a bite of tomato and declare, “This tastes like I kissed the sun! It’s amazing!” so they want to taste it. You are planting an idea in their head. When you are excited about something, you create a snowball of excitement around you that makes others want to try it. This is the best meal ever and they won’t want to miss out.

Cooking Tips

• Plant-Based Quick Mix Tzatziki Sauce—consistency is thinner if made with classic yogurt; thicker/dip-like if made with Greek Yogurt; shred cucumber instead of chopping and squeeze to reduce liquid when using classic yogurt.
• Radishes—clean, slice, place in a jar and cover with water, adding salt is optional. Easy addition to salads and sandwiches.
• Knife Sharpener—has a sharpen side and a polish side. Run knife through the sharpen side 5-6x to make a beautiful edge.
• Clean As You Go—wash counter/table with All Purpose Cleaning Spray after you roll Pita Bread dough.
• Be sure to turn off the grill when you’re done so you don’t use your whole tank of fuel accidentally.
• Pita Bread makes fabulous pizza crust vs Quick Mix Pizza Crust—it’s worth the rise time—it takes that long to prep your toppings anyway: Italian Sausage Crumbles, Dry Browned mushrooms, Pizza Sauce, and Melt and Bake Cheeze.

Encouragement

• When I say, “take care,” what I really mean is, “take the very best care of yourself,” because if you don’t, somebody else is going to have to. I don’t want you to ever be in that situation. You don’t have to be. It’s completely optional.
• Most of us need to take care of the people we love. And in order to be able to do that for a lifetime, we have to start by caring for ourselves—beginning with what is on our plate. This is not a selfish thing to do. It allows us to give our best self to others.
• Whether we are employers, employees, or taking care of children or a spouse, we better take care of ourselves first, so that we can always be there to take care of them.
• When you hear us say, “Take care. And best of health!” I hope you think “I better eat right. I better make a great meal for myself today. I better think about what tomorrow’s plan is. I better take care of myself, so I can live with health freedom.
• Health Freedom = No worries. We know we’re healthy. We don’t need to go to the doctor. Doctors are there for when we really, really need them. No need for exploratory testing when you know you are diligently taking care of yourself.

“The grill is your friend.”

Recommended Oil-Free Grill Recipes

Whole Wheat Pita Pocket Bread	Grilled Mini Party Pizzas	Oil-Free Grilled Vegetables	Seasoned Brown Rice	Fall Flatbread Pizza
Grilled Green Onion Dip	Roasted Grapes	Grilled Veggie Marinade	Indian Flatbread Pizza	Julie’s Baby Jack Ribs
Grilled Steak Fries	Hot Diggity Dogs	Grilled Italian Sausage	Flatbread Pizza	Seasoned Flatbread
Cutlets	Jamaican Jerk Cutlets	BBQ Riblets	BBQ Burgers	BBQ Tofu Kebabs
Greek Cutlets	BBQ Chick’N Breast	BBQ Taters	Roasted Corn	Veggie Kebabs

Recommended Oil-Free Grilling Classes

#132 Making Cutlets	#328 Weight Loss Challenge & the Salad Crunch Wrap
#088 Summer Holidays PD Style	#116 Becoming a Plant Based Chef–No Experience Necessary
#175 Mastering Oil-Free Grilled Pizza	#136 Oil-Free Grilling Techniques, part 1
#325 3-Month Goal Challenge	#137 Oil-Free Grilling Techniques, part 2—Pizza 101 Grilled & Baked
	#138 Oil-Free Grilling Techniques, part 3—Potatoes and Beets

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Class Description:

Pita Bread puffs at the oven’s hottest setting—but ovens are off for the summer in the high desert. The outdoor grill is our plant-based friend. Grilled Pita Bread makes the perfect sandwich when dill, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and garlic are at their finest.

Class URL: https://protectivediet.com/courses/protective-diet-education/lessons/class-330-puffing-pita-on-the-grill-with-quick-mix-tzatziki-sauce/