Sister-in-Law Greek Pitas

We've been back from our whirlwind travels for almost two weeks now. The first week back we used every opportunity to make meals that we'd missed while we were traveling. However, then I realized that it is summer and I should be using my (relative) free time trying new meals, especially since summertime meals are the hardest for us. We're hot, I don't want to heat up the kitchen, and heavy dishes just sit in a lump. I've got a few things in the works, but it was actually a simple recipe I saw for a vegan "feta" that led me to remember this meal.

This recipe for Greek pitas is a vegan version of my sister-in-law's recipe. She used to feed this to Shana before any of them even knew I existed. I'm not sure where she got it, but it's easy, quick, and delicious - a winner! Plus, although it does use a pan on the stove, the cooking time is pretty short because there's no need to cook raw meat. That makes this a great summer dinner.

Sister-in-Law Greek Pitas
Ingredients
1 small-med onion, diced
1 package fake meat crumbles (see Helpful Hints)
2 T. red wine
3/4 - 1 c. water
2 T. flour
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Saute onions in a little bit of oil in a medium skillet until soft.
2. Add your crumbles of choice (seriously, go see the Helpful Hints) and continue to cook so that they get hot.
3. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, meanwhile, mix the flour and water in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
4. Add the flour/water to the pan, stirring until the mixture is combined and thick.
5. Stuff pitas with the meat mixture, some vegan feta, lettuce, tomatoes (not at our house!), cucumbers, or anything else you think might be good!

Helpful Hints

• Tonight we used Upton's Naturals "Italian" Seitan, a pre-seasoned version of seitan. The spices included (as per the package) are garlic, oregano, sea salt, onion, fennel, black pepper, and red pepper. 
• If you cannot find the Upton's seitan, use any sort of unseasoned faux meat crumbles that you like. However, make sure to add some garlic and oregano (I'd say at least 3/4 tsp. of oregano, and a clove of garlic or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder). You can throw in other spices if you have them (like the fennel), but there's no need. 
• I made the vegan feta (which will absolutely go in my food repertoire) on Tuesday, as we'd planned to have these Greek Pitas then, but Shana wasn't feeling so hot. Tuesday's dinner got pushed to this evening, but I'm glad it did. Allowing the feta to sit in the fridge for two days mellowed and melded its flavors in a really pleasing way! You can certainly eat the feta the same day you make it, but if you've got time to let it sit, do so. 
• Do you have a jar with a tight-fitting lid? I have 4 or 5 (no joke) and don't know how I would cook without them. 
• Don't want a soy-based faux feta? Here's a recipe I used to make that uses macadamia nuts. It's also delicous! 

The post "Sister-in-Law Greek Pita" originally appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.