Pesto Chicken and Spinach Pita

I had leftover pita from a fattoush salad that I had made during the week and was craving something with a Mediterranean flair, so I came up with this quick recipe. When I say it was SO good, that's likely an understatement-- I made enough for two sandwiches and before I knew it, I had eaten both in one sitting. (Shh).

The ingredients are pretty simple, but combine together to create a great can't-get-enough flavor. And it's *relatively* healthy as well! (I say *relatively* because I didn't actually measure the calories aside from the 150 calorie slice of pita, but nothing's fried or breaded, so that counts for something, right?)

PESTO CHICKEN AND SPINACH PITA

(Makes about 3-4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 3 tbsp. basil pesto 
• 2 tbsp. olive oil 
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced 
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 2 cups of baby spinach
• Handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (more or less, to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder 
• 1 tsp. dried (chopped) mint leaves 
• 1 jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil (will use approx. 4-6, roughly chopped)
• 1 package of fat free feta cheese (for topping)
• 1 package of pita (whole grain, wheat or original) 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

After washing and patting dry chicken breasts, using a large knife, cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch chunks. Season chicken with lemon pepper seasoning, dried mint leaves, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add garlic and onions and sautee for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add chicken pieces and continue to cook over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. In the meantime, rub a little olive oil over each slice of pita that you plan to use and place in the oven on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, flipping once halfway through, and remove from oven.

Once chicken is cooked through, reduce heat to medium and add 3 tbsp. of pesto. Mix thoroughly to ensure that all chicken pieces are covered in pesto. Once you are satisfied with the chicken's coating, add in the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 3-5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh parsley. 

While pita slices are still warm, add chicken and vegetables to each and top with feta cheese. ENJOY!