Mediterranean Pita Salad with Faux Tzatziki

MAKES 4 MAIN-DISH SERVINGS

Tzatziki—Greek-style garlic-yogurt-cucumber sauce or dip—was one of my favorite food items before I began this migraine-diet journey. Sadly, for me, yogurt ended up being a huge personal trigger. Even to this day, now that I’ve been able to add countless foods back, yogurt still makes my head feel slow and fuzzy when I eat it (though previously, it used to trigger a full-on vertigo attack). Luckily, I found a hack: blending cottage cheese gives you a nice, smooth texture that is similar to yogurt, and Daisy brand makes a cottage cheese without live cultures. If you haven’t tried fried chickpeas yet… woah. These are addictive little guys that will be your new favorite snack.

FAUX TZATZIKI

¾ cup cottage cheese (without live cultures)

²⁄₃ cup grated, unpeeled English cucumber

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1½ tablespoons fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill

FRIED CHICKPEAS

Canola or grapeseed oil

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and thoroughly dried

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

PITA SALAD

1–2 pita or naan breads (made without yogurt)

1 (6-ounce) package mixed greens

1 red bell pepper, sliced

Chopped English cucumber (use the remaining cucumber from the Faux Tzatziki)

To make the Faux Tzatziki, place the cottage cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving bowl. Wrap the grated cucumber in a couple layers of paper towels or dish towels; squeeze out the excess moisture. Transfer to the bowl with the blended cottage cheese. Add garlic, vinegar, and dill; stir to combine. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes.

To make the Fried Chickpeas, pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of ¼ inch. Heat over medium-high until it sizzles when you flick a bit of water into it. Add the dry chickpeas and fry, tossing occasionally with a slotted spoon, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Use the slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

To make the Pita Salad, preheat the oven to 400°F and place the pita or naan bread directly on the center oven rack while the oven heats. Once the oven reaches 400°F, remove the bread and allow to cool. Chop into bite-size pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the mixed greens, red pepper, cucumber, pita pieces, and fried chickpeas; toss well. Divide the salad among serving plates, top each with a dollop of Faux Tzatziki, and serve.