Fetapitas

I just realized (thanks to a request from Greg) that we haven’t posted this recipe yet. I found the recipe in the August 2004 issue of Real Simple, which was passed to me from my mom. At that point, I was in the habit of tearing out and cataloging all the recipes in her old magazines, then choosing and cooking from this selection each week. I don't remember when Rich and I first made fetapitas, but they were an immediate hit with us. One of us could make dinner for two in about 15 minutes. And it was nearly* foolproof - no matter how badly we estimated ingredients, the meal was always delicious. When discussing this recipe with Sarah, she referred to it as "fetapita", and the name stuck.

* The only time we've messed up the recipe was when we picked up an 8-ounce container of "plain yogurt" that was actually sweetened. So check the ingredients and make sure your yogurt is not sweetened. I complained to the company and got them to change their wording.

Fetapitas
1. • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
   • 2 tablespoons olive oil
   • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
   • 4 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
   • 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
   • Juice of half a lemon
   • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
   • 1 10-ounce bag cleaned spinach
   • 4 pitas
2. 1. Heat oven to 400º F.
   2. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a baking sheet. Bake until they are just softened, about 10 minutes.
   3. Meanwhile, whisk together the Feta, yogurt, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt; set aside.
   4. Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and just turning golden. Don't burn the garlic! Add the spinach and the remaining salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the spinach is just wilted, about 4 minutes.
   5. Brush both sides of the pitas with the remaining olive oil. Place in the oven and heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes per side. (You can also do this on a medium-hot grill.)
   6. Place the pitas on plates. Top with the spinach and tomatoes. Dollop the yogurt-Feta sauce on top and serve.