Yummy Pitta Pockets

So many women I talk to say they are too busy for lunch, but there is an easy way to have a nourishing and delicious lunch that doesn’t take very long at all. You can even make up the fillings in advance to save time.

The average white pitta bread only has about 147 calories and their crunchy pocket style makes them just right for all sorts of lovely fillings. These make a great light lunch - really satisfying but low in fat and calories.  They also travel well wrapped in Saran wrap or aluminum foil in an insulated lunch box if you are eating on the run.  By the way, most kids love to eat pitta breads - I used to call them pitta pockets when my son was little - they are a bit of fun and they make a great change from ordinary bread. 

Do check the mayonnaise you are using to make sure it has ‘good’ fats (not hydrogenated) and be careful as some “light”versions are actually low in fat but high in calories, and some “low cal” versions are actually quite high in fat. I use Hellmann’s Extra Light for this recipe. If you don’t like mayonnaise, you can always substitute a little plain yogurt.

Each of these recipes serves one adult or two little ones (most kids will only eat half a pitta sandwich), but it’s very easy to multiply the quantities to serve more.   

Chicken Salad Pittas

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

half a chicken breast, cut in small cubes

a small handful of lettuce, finely shredded

3 or 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 to 3 teaspoons low calorie or light mayonnaise

½ teaspoon freshly chopped chives

salt and pepper, optional

a pinch of curry powder, optional

Mix the chicken, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise together in a small bowl.  Add the chives, salt and pepper to taste, and curry powder if you like it.   Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta. 

Waldorf Salad Pitta

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

half a chicken breast, cut in small cubes

one quarter to one half a small apple, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces

1 small handful of lettuce, finely shredded

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

3 or 4 walnuts, finely chopped

2 to 3 teaspoons low calorie or light mayonnaise

Mix the chicken, apple, lettuce, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise in a small bowl.  Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta. 

Egg Salad Pitta

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

1 large hard boiled egg, chopped into small pieces

1 teaspoon chopped red pepper

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

pinch of celery salt

2 to 3 teaspoons low calorie or light mayonnaise

a pinch of curry powder (or more or less to taste but please don't leave it out!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the egg, red pepper, celery, celery salt and mayonnaise together in a bowl.   Add the curry powder and salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix.  Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta. 

Tuna Salad Pitta

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

¼ cup canned tuna, drained

1 teaspoon chopped red pepper

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

a small handful of lettuce, finely shredded

pinch of celery salt

2 to 3 teaspoons mayonnaise

a squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the tuna, red pepper, celery, lettuce, celery salt, mayonnaise and lemon.  Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in. Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta.

So as you can see there is no longer any good reason to skip lunch - in fact there are at least four good reasons not to! 

Gourmet Dining on the Monagasque Beach - La Note Bleue

Just along the Plage du Larvotto on the Avenue Princess Grace in Monte Carlo there is a beach restaurant and jazz lounge that serves the most wonderful dishes. We had coffee there the first day of our visit, and returned for lunch twice afterwards. The service is friendly and efficient and the food is very, very good.


Check out this Salade Nicoise.

Beautifully presented, fresh and utterly delicious, I enjoyed it on both our visits to this refreshingly unpretentious venue. I don't think I have ever tasted nicer tuna and the tomatoes really did taste of sunshine.


My husband also enjoyed the same dish on both our visits - a seafood risotto with three different kinds of white fish. 

The fish and risotto were beautifully cooked, and there was not a bone to be found in this meltingly tender dish.


Our son enjoyed a vegetarian dish, tofu with stir fried vegetables and a side of light, fluffy rice.

There is something so wonderful about sitting in the sunshine looking out to sea and enjoying a lovely lunch. It was a popular place, and great for people watching. As we sat there one day a recognisable musician arrived with his entourage and a very glamorous girlfriend and sat down to lunch just beside us. (I never lunch and tell, but you would have recognised him too!) 


Our second lunch at La Note Bleue was on our last day in Monaco for this visit, and we decided to treat ourselves to dessert. I am so glad we did!


My husband's Tarte Tatin was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious,

and the ice cream our son chose was just divine.

It was a sweet, salty chocolate and caramel concoction, the peanut garnish offsetting the sweetness of the caramel beautifully. And as for my dessert, well, it is among the best I have ever had. I had never heard of Macaronade des Poires before, although I have eaten my fair share of macarons, but I will be on the lookout for it from now on!

Macarons of course translates to macaroon and these were beautiful examples of that wonderful treat - crisp on the outside with a divinely melting middle. Inside the cute little jar there was a warm compote of pears, cooked in a caramel sauce and topped with a tiny dollop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream melted into the caramel and as the biscuits dissolved slowly in it as well - oh my goodness, it was quite incredible. By the end, I found myself totally losing my self control and soaking the remains of the biscuits in what was left of the caramel sauce in the bottom of the jar - it was that good! 


We were so impressed with the atmosphere, service and food at La Note Bleue we will definitely return on our next visit to Monaco - and should you find yourself there I urge you to go along and enjoy their hospitality too!










The 21st Century Housewife was not paid or compensated in any way for this post, and the opinions in it are genuine, and my own. 

The 21st Century Housewife's© Warming Autumn Sandwich

Although we have had some fabulous weather here in England recently, the odd chilly day really does make you realise that Autumn is taking hold. These are the kind of days when you want more than just an ordinary sandwich for lunch; you want something warming and delicious.

I always like to keep some roast vegetables ready in the fridge. They are incredibly versatile and very nutritious. They are also very easy to make. I wrote about them in a lot more detail back in June, so if you missed the original article, please click here.

For a small pan of roast vegetables, you will need:-
1 courgette/zucchini, sliced in half moons
1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut in small chunks
1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut in small chunks
1 red onion, peeled and cut in eighths
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, peeled (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil and vinegar in a medium roasting tin. Mix together the oil and vinegar and pour over the vegetables, tossing lightly to coat. Roast in a hot oven (about 190℃ or 375℉) for approximately twenty to thirty minutes, stirring once. You want the vegetables to soften a bit and go slightly golden in colour.

You can use these straight away or allow them to cool and refrigerate.

For each sandwich you need:-

1 crusty roll, sliced in half
(I like to use seeded rolls as I think they give a nice texture)
1 slice of ham
1 slice of ready-sliced cheddar cheese or some grated cheddar
a couple spoonfuls of roast vegetables

Take each roll and lay it open on a large square of aluminium foil (you are going to wrap it all round the sandwich so make sure it is big enough). I don’t use butter on these as the vegetables have the olive oil on them so you really don’t need it.

Lay a slice of ham on the bottom piece of the roll and top with the vegetables. Place the cheese on top, followed by the top of the roll. Wrap tightly in aluminium foil and place on a baking sheet.

Cook at about 190℃ or 375℉ for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until warm through. Remove from oven and allow to sit for about two or three minutes before carefully opening the hot foil parcel.

Serve and enjoy - being careful not to burn yourself on the lovely hot melted cheese!

For a vegetarian version, omit the ham and replace it with another slice of cheese (or more grated cheese). Be sure to use vegetarian cheddar.