What do you do when you crave nachos AND a Greek salad? Make this crunchy plate of tangy Greek salad vegetables over crispy pitta chips, that’s what. Have as a solo lunch or shared snack.
These past few weeks have seen me playing about with recipes for an upcoming eBook. I’ve never done an eBook (have you? Is it easy, or did you pull out your hair?) and I think I am procrastinating taking it to a local web designer by conjuring up yet more food to make and faff about shooting. Story of my life.
I can justify my procrastination by presenting it as an integral part of my craft, for it is almost inevitable that I fill the small spaces of empty time not with completing something, but with beginning something else. And that something almost always involves food. It used to be up-cycling a piece of battered furniture, or stencilling a wall (we are talking 1990s). But as my (non-upcycled, unstencilled) shelves of cookbooks and bulging fridges (yes, plural) attest, my thoughts as well as my house are filled with food.
As for the eBook, not much of the content will appear here. I’m not wishing to be all exclusive with the recipes, it’s just that this recipe book will be quite niche. And, I think, quite necessary. It is a cookbook for those with difficulty chewing and swallowing.
Most of you will not know the difficulty of loving food but being unable to enjoy it like we all should. Challenges in eating arise through some cancer treatments and surgeries, stroke, multiple sclerosis, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, Sjögren’s syndrome and other conditions that limit the ability to chew and/or swallow. Dental issues, even temporary ones like getting wisdom teeth out, can make eating painful and stressful. Eating can also be more difficult as we get older.
My work away from here is with cancer patients and their families. I explained in a previous post that I teach on eating well through cancer treatment and beyond. Luckily most of the issues people have during treatment are temporary. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some surgery can make eating well, and enough, quite challenging and frustrating for patient and carer alike. A big part of my job is helping people find individual and creative ways of eating around these issues until such time as their body recovers from not only the cancer, but the treatments.
One of the images for my upcoming eBook for those with chewing and swallowing issues – Miso-Butter Sweetcorn with Marinated Tofu
However there is a hidden population of people who because of illness will always have difficulty chewing and swallowing. Perhaps you know someone yourself. My eBook will offer a “food to glow” selection of healthy, appetising, and most of all easy to manage recipes for these very folk. If you know someone with these issues then you will be aware of how little is out there for this group of people. My thought is, no matter what your limitation, we should all be able to eat good food.
If you know of anyone who might need this book, let me know in the comments. I will report back in the autumn with more news. But until then, here is the absolute opposite of what will be in the book. Why? Because after weeks of developing soft food recipes I am craving some crunch. I tested these out on a recent evening class where I work, and it went down really well. It isn’t really a recipe as such, more an idea for a healthy, delicious sharing snack or fun lunch for one. I hope you like it. You will see that it has tuna on it, but of course use all feta, or even no cheese at all. White beans would be a great vegan option.
Greek Salad Nachos
What do you do when you crave nachos AND a Greek salad? Make this crunchy plate of tangy Greek salad vegetables over crispy pitta chips, that’s what. Have as a solo lunch or shared snack.
1 wholemeal pitta bread*
3 shallots OR 1/2 quite small red onion, thinly sliced and halved
5 radishes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp best olive oil + extra as needed
2 tsp dried oregano
pinch each of salt and sugar (yes, sugar)
1/8 long cucumber, halved and deseeded with a teaspoon and finely diced
Handful of best, ripe cherry tomatoes, small dice (shake off excess liquid)
Half jar of best tuna (the kind in jars tends to be of a better quality/provenance) in oil or water OR more feta cheese (see below) OR 1/2 tin of drained white beans, gently broken with a fork
20g (or more) best feta cheese
Small palmful of Kalamata olives or Nocellera olives, pitted and halved/sliced
A lemon
Optional extras: pickled hot peppers, fresh sprouts, fresh dill or fennel fronds (latter is shown in the images), baby salad leaves or microherbs
Method:
1. Halve the pitta bread around its seam and tear or cut into large, “tortilla-sized” pieces. Lay on a baking tray and bake at 180C/350F for 8-10 minutes, until crisp and solid but not dark. Leave to cool. *If you like, use several pitta breads and save the rest in an airtight container as they will last at least a week. You can of course use ready-made pitta chips, but watch the flavourings and salt often added to the bought kind.
2. Meanwhile, mix the shallots and radishes with the vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and sugar. Cover and set aside.
3. When the pittas are cooled lay them on a wide plate or platter in a single layer, and evenly lay over (okay, pile) the cucumber, tomatoes, tuna (if using) and cheese. Spoon over the marinated shallots/radishes and top with olives and any extras. Drizzle over a little extra oil and squoosh with lemon. Eat soon after preparing.
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I’d love to buy your e-book Kellie! I am always looking to eat healthier food and your recipes always sound so tasty!
Thanks so much, Monique. It will be very much focussed on those who have difficulty coming up with interesting recipes and ideas for easy to eat foods.
Kellie, I had extensive TMJ surgery in college and afterwards was told not to chew for 6 months until some implants inserted to keep scar tissue from forming were removed. At the time the Dr. gave me a book written by one of his patience called “The Non-Chew Cookbook”. I don’t remember if I used it but I remember a bunch of blending for those many months. I’m sure your book will be a blessing to those who need it!
Ouch! That sounds so painful Anne! My recipe book will have blended foods of course, but will offer quite a few foods that require little chewing or pressure from the jaw. Just swallowing blended foods gets very boring but hopefully many people can cope with very soft foods that are well-cooked and/or made to slide down easily. Thank you for your kind comment. 🙂
Dear Kellie, Firstly I feel your recent frustration re the ‘Internet Pirates’. I love your site and think your e book is a wonderful idea. As a cancer survivor myself I remember all too well the difficulties presented as a result of chemotherapy. Good luck with the book. Perhaps a link up with the amazing Penny Brohn Cancer Care Centre here in Bristol UK will help with promotion & conversations? They were and continue to be a God send resource for many.
That’s a wonderful idea for a link up, Liz. I will put Penny Brohn on my list of organisations to contact. I’ve not got around to who to market it to (I just like the creative bit!), but need to start brainstorming. I hope you are well and enjoying life to the full. Thanks so much for dropping by and taking the time to comment.
This looks so good. Thanks for sharing.
Such a beautiful dish… fresh and nutritious… wow, it’s a big serve… I am not sure I could eat all that yumminess! xx
What an awesome undertaking, my dad suffered from ALS and not being able to swallow properly was one of the hardest things for him, he loved food, I wish we had something like this for him at the time. Thank you
I’m so sorry about your father, Sarah. Hopefully this eBook will help a few people get a little more colour and taste into their world. Thank you for stopping by and appreciating this idea.
This looks great!
You’re doing a tremendous service with this ebook and your blog, Kellie. It is a needed niche that doesn’t get enough attention. You’ve certainly helped raise my awareness of it since I found you years ago. And these Greek nachos, yes please. Love everything about them!
Thank you for your support on this Katie, and for your very kind words. It is very much a Cinderella area of nutrition and health, but affects countless people in some way or another.
Make mine with more feta cheese please!!! Yum! Great topic for an e-book. Having worked in long term care many moons ago, I know how important this is. I am (kinda) working on a E-book too, and *procrastination* is my middle name 🙂
I know! I was a bit stingy with the cheese! I hope anyone who makes it will do it their own way. Oh, and good luck working on your own book. Care to drop a hint here? What is your favoured method of procrastination? 😉
I’m so glad you’re putting together a book, it will be eagerly anticipated!
Kellie, 2 weeks ago you fed the WN course an amazing curried red lentil and veg soup. Was wondering if you might share the recipe, or if I’ve missed one from the archives? Thanks! 🙂
Thanks Sarah. I can’t remember exactly what I made – for soups I often see what I have already and what’s most interesting when I am shopping – but it will have been close to this one, but replacing the Ethiopian flavours with more Indian-subcontinent ones and using softer red/orange lentils. https://kelliesfoodtoglow.com/2016/04/04/berbere-spiced-ethiopian-lentil-stew-recipe-mesir-wot/. I hope this helps. 🙂 I tend to always try and put something green in most soups.
Love, Love, Love this!! All the falvors of Greek slad with the crunch of pita chips. Brilliant. Kellie – I am seriously interested in how you are putting together an e-book. Maybe a post on that? -Kat
Your book would be of interest to me since I sometimes have a form of Dysphagia which (I believe) might be caused by the Scoliosis in my back and neck.
I would love to see an ebook! Your talent for cooking will seriously shine through that way! And this is WAY too clever! I love that you’ve created such an interesting fusion of ethnic cultures!
Hey Kellie, I’m looking forward to seeing your book finished!
Before being a full-time blogger I was an acupuncturist, and I still practice one morning a week in my local hospital where I treat patients that have mostly been through head & neck cancer (and the occasional sjogrens patient too) in a Dry Mouth Clinic.
Being a passionate foodie it breaks my heart when a fellow foodie misses the tastes and textures of the food they used to love :'(
Do shout if I can help at any point.
Janie x
Fantastic! I was just googling salad recipes and this looks lovely and I think the pitta bread would help me not feel too deprived 🙂
What a great idea Kellie. I’m in! I’d really enjoy that. Shared it all over 🙂 Oh and loved the hand shot
This looks utterly delicious -and the book sounds like a wonderful idea and worthwhile project all rolled into one. I am the queen of procrastination but if you want any design help with the book am here for you.