Empañapita

By Vuepoint

June 09, 2015

Similar to a Spanish empañada, this empaña "pita" uses pita bread for the shell.

2 (6½-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cup tangy salsa
For filling:
2 cups canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed
2 cups frozen broccoli, corn, and pepper vegetable mix, thawed
2 cups grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (about 4 small breasts)
½ cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried coriander)
2 tablespoon scallions (green onions), rinsed and chopped (or substitute red onions)

Preheat oven to 400 ºF. Combine beans, vegetables, chicken, cheese, and seasonings. Mix well. Cut pitas in half, and open the pockets. Divide filling evenly between the four halves (about 1½ cups each). Place pitas on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling is hot, cheese melts, and chicken is reheated. Serve each empañapita with ¼ cup of Tangy Salsa. Nutritional information

calories 373
total fat 4 grams
saturated fat 1 gram
cholesterol 34 milligrams
sodium 374 milligrams
total fiber 14 gram
protein 27 grams
carbohydrates 60 grams
potassium 741 milligrams
vitamin A 180%
vitamin C 50%
calcium 8%
iron 25%
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Prep time: 10 minutes (20 minutes with homemade salsa)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 stuffed pita half, 1/4 cup tangy salsa

Note: If you can't find beans labeled "low sodium," compare the Nutrition Facts panels to find the beans with the lowest amount of sodium. Rinsing can help reduce sodium levels further. From keep the beat recipes, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute