Mushroom Capsicum Pockets – it’s so easy to make this tasty and healthy meal, even on a busy weeknight. Stir-fried mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and spinach, tucked into a warm pita pocket, topped with tangy Feta cheese and spicy chilli paste….. Yumm! Best part? These sandwiches need are super-quick to make!
Soon after I came to the US many years ago, I was in the food-court of a busy shopping mall. Mesmerized by the whiff of an enticing aroma, I followed my nose…. As I spotted the onions and bell-peppers sizzling on a griddle, I started to drool!
I watched as the chef threw a slice of cheese on top and it instantly melted through. He deftly picked up the whole thing with a spatula and plonked it on top of a sandwich roll heaped with thin slices of cooked meat. Fascinated, I asked him what it was and he said “Philly Cheese-steak”.
Of course, it was not the meat, but the look and aroma of the sizzling onions and bell peppers that had so captivated me. I just couldn’t wait to get back home so I could play a little with this combo. Lots of ideas were already rushing through my mind!
Mushrooms – with onions and bell peppers – winning combo!
My brain had immediately zeroed in on what I might use instead of meat… mushrooms, of course! I already did this on pizza, so why not on a sandwich? So I did, and what can I say? The grilled onion-bell-pepper-mushroom, with gooey cheese in every bite has long been one of my all-time favorite sandwiches.
As I explored further variations on this theme, I created several other sandwich varieties with very distinct flavor profiles. Rolls, wraps, open-faced sandwiches, tacos, enchiladas, Roti-rolls, etc….. all have these 3 ingredients. The subtle flavors and “look” of the different spices and seasonings, toppings and accompaniments means each of these varieties look and taste very different, each one just as delectable as the rest.
Pita Pockets – with mushrooms, capsicum, spinach and Feta Cheese
In the easy recipe I’ve shared here, I’ve simply added some spinach to my “winning” combo. I quickly stir-fry the onion, capsicum and mushrooms, then turn the heat off and add a large fistful of roughly chopped spinach. As I stir gently, the spinach quickly wilts and mixes in. That’s it! The mushroom capsicum filling is ready for stuffing into pita pockets!
The salty and tangy Feta cheese adds a bit of extra protein and goes particularly well with the Mediterranean-style pita pockets. The fiery red Chilli paste…. well, that’s not really Mediterranean, but who cares! If you like it spicy….. what the heck, just go for it!
Nutrient-packed sandwich
These mushroom , capsicum and spinach-filled pita pockets, topped with feta cheese, are rich in a multitude of nutrients. Lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and fiber, all while being fairly low in fat and overall calorie content.
So…. this fast-fix sandwich is not just deliciously satisfying, it is also a nutritional powerhouse!
Short cooking time: minimize nutrient loss
Long cooking time destroys many vitamins, especially Vitamin C. To minimize nutrient loss, I like to keep cooking times as short as possible. One way to do this is to cover the vegetables while they cook. The cover traps the heat and moisture and helps the food cook faster.
By following this technique, you can cook the filling for these mushroom-capsicum pockets in about 6-7 min at low-medium heat. As for the spinach: since it’s simply mixed in at the end – it is just barely “cooked”!
Special Diets
These mushroom-capsicum pockets are vegetarian, soy-free and nut-free. To make them vegan, replace the butter with you choice of vegan substitutes: vegan butter, coconut oil or other mild-flavored oil of your choice. You will also need to replace the feta cheese with your choice of vegan cheese – see Recipe Notes for some suggestions.
As for the bread, I use wheat-based pita pockets to make these sandwiches. If you want to make gluten-free sandwiches, perhaps you could use this tasty veggie mixture with a gluten-free bread of your choice.
Sandwiches – so many variations on this theme!
If you’re like me and love sandwiches….by which I also mean wraps, soft tacos, etc….. do take a look at a few more quick-fix sandwich ideas that I’ve posted on this blog. I’ve listed some of these below: all are super-easy to make and delightfully satiating.
- Chickpea Pocket Sandwiches – seasoned with Middle-Eastern Za’tar, no cooking required!
- Zucchini Melt on Sourdough – minimal prep, simple and delicious to make in a jiffy!
- TVP filling for Tacos and more – this easy to make filling with soy-based textured vegetable protein is so very versatile.
So… Make these fast-fix mushroom capsicum pockets and enjoy a tasty meal with family and friends. Do leave a review and star rating. Much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Mushroom Capsicum Pockets – Easy, Tasty and Healthy
Equipment
- 1 Saute pan/frying pan (8 inch / 20 cm) and sturdy turner/ spoon – I prefer non-stick preferred Un-coated, heavy bottom stainless steel pan OK too
- 1 Sturdy nylon/wood spatula/turner suitable for non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Mushrooms – diced medium – 6-8 medium White button or brown Crimini (baby bella) variety
- 1/2 cup Capsicum diced small or chopped Green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup Onion – chopped white, red, yellow – any variety OK
- 1 tsp Fresh Garlic – chopped – 1-2 cloves optional
- 2 tsp Butter for a vegan sandwich – use vegan butter or coconut oil, or any mild-flavored oil of your preference.
- 1 1/2 cups Fresh Baby spinach – coarsely chopped – packed well after chopping (about 1 large fistful) if baby spinach is not available, mature spinach is OK too. Note: Must wash spinach very carefully to remove grit. See Recipe Notes for details.
- 3/8 tsp Salt – divide into 3 portions adjust as per preference
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – coarsely crushed -divide into 2 portions freshly crushed gives better flavor
- 4 pieces Pita pockets: 2 loaves, cut in half Home-made or store bought; any variety OK- white, whole wheat, multigrain
Sandwich Toppings
- 2 tbsp Feta Cheese – chunky crumbles for alternatives and vegan options- see Recipe Notes
- 2 tsp Fresh Red Chilli paste adjust as per taste preference; if not available, use other hot sauce of your choice made with spicy red peppers
- 1/2 cup Iceberg lettuce – shredded – optional
Instructions
- Peel and chop onion – medium dice
- Peel and chop garlic
- Heat butter ( or oil) in a medium frying pan (8-10 inch/ 20-30 cm) on low heat. Add chopped onions and garlic and stir to mix.
- Cover and cook on medium heat for 2-3 min
- Meanwhile, dice the capsicum (green bell pepper) – 1/2 inch / 1 cm pieces
- Add diced capsicum to the cooked onion-garlic mixture in the pan. Evenly sprinkle the sugar and 1 portion of the salt all over the top. Do NOT stir.
- Cover and cook for 2-3 min on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms – medium dice – 1/2 inch / 1 cm pieces
- Remove cover from the pan, stir to mix evenly.
- Spread the mushrooms evenly. Sprinkle 1 portion of the remaining salt all over. Do NOT stir.
- Cover and cook for 2-3 min on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, wash and prep the baby spinach – rough chop is perfect – do not chop finely.Note: Be sure to clean the spinach thoroughly to remove all grit. See Recipe Notes for detailsAlso: If using mature spinach, rather than baby spinach, discard any tough stems – tender stems are fine to use.
- Remove cover from pan and stir to mix.
- Add chopped spinach, sprinkle the remaining portion of salt and pepper. Turn the heat off.
- Stir the mixture gently: the spinach wilts immediately and mixes well with the remaining ingredients. Cover and set aside while you prep the pita pockets.
- Cut the pita loves in half. Gently "open" the pockets. Warm them briefly (on a plate or paper towel) in the microwave for about 8-10 seconds on Hi – Do NOT heat longer or the Pita will become tough!Divide the mushroom- capsicum mixture into 4 portions.
- Stuff each pita pocket with one portion.Add the toppings and serve warm.
- Enjoy!
Notes
To wash spinach free of grit
Sometimes, when you buy a bunch of spinach, it’s very clean. Other times, you can see and feel the dirt and grit sticking to it. Nothing can ruin a meal faster than getting grit in your mouth! So, always worth spending some time to ensure that you wash away all traces of grit from the spinach. To do so, I have the following suggestions.- Half-fill a large pot with cool water.
- Dunk the spinach into the water and gently shake out the greens.
- The water becomes murky and the grit starts to settle at the bottom.
- Skim the leaves from the water and collect them in a colander.
- Throw away the rinse water.
- Refill the pot with fresh water and repeat the process.
- Repeat 3-4 times until the water looks clear and no more grit settles to the bottom of the pot.
- Check by gently running your finger around the bottom of the pot of water. Your fingers should not be able to detect any grittiness settled on the bottom.
- Collect the leaves in a colander and rinse one last time with fresh water.
- Spread out the leaves on a kitchen towel to let them dry a bit, or dry them in a salad spinner.
- The spinach is now ready to be used as directed in the recipe.
Feta Cheese Substitutes:
If you cannot find Feta cheese or prefer to follow a vegan diet, you can try the following alternatives:- Paneer – crumbles, roughly torn, sprinkled with salt and allowed to marinate overnight
- this is NOT vegan
- Firm tofu – torn into small chunks, marinated in pickling brine: vegan
- 1/2 cup Tofu, small hand-torn chunks – don’t cut with a knife.
- Pickling brine:
- Place 1/8 tsp citric acid, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 cup water in a small bowl: stir to mix
- Add 1/4 cup vinegar and mix: pickling brine is ready
- Place tofu cubes in a glass jar. Pour the pickling brine over the tofu. Add some herbs if you like
- Cover loosely and allow to marinate at least overnight.
- absolutely delicious.
- Ready to use as Feta substitute.
- Can be stored in the brine for up to 8-10 days, possibly longer.
- Other vegan cheese alternatives of your choice.
Storing leftovers:
I recommend making only as much cooked filling as needed – the texture and nutrition profile of the filling deteriorates fairly quickly. I definitely do not recommend freezing the cooked mixture – it does not look or taste good after thawing. If you do have leftover filling, refrigerate in a covered glass/ceramic container.- Consume within 1-2 days.
- you can make pocket sandwiches again, or make something new:
- use as a filling for quesadillas, soft tacos or wraps
- use as a filling for a grilled sandwich
- use as pizza topping on Greek-style flatbread or Naan.
- re-heat for about 1 minute in the microwave and and mix into cooked pasta
- you can make pocket sandwiches again, or make something new:
I will try this, but will use the mushroom stuffing to stuff the capsicum. And then bake the whole thing to cook the capsicum. (We are avoiding Pita type carbs)
Nice! You could add extra onions or some other veggie to the mushrooms to give it a little more volume, since you will probably not be adding capsicum in the stuffing. I usually use Mexican style rice with veggies to stuff capsicum – that tastes great too, but maybe you’re trying to avoid rice as well.
A suggestion for baked stuffed capsicum – I like to pre-cook the capsicum a little in the microwave (about 2-3 min on hi or a bit longer) before stuffing and baking. I also like to rub a bit of oil and salt on the inside and outside of the capsicum before microwaving – it gives it a lot more flavor. The precooking softens them, so they’re easier to stuff, and also reduces overall baking time after stuffing. If you overcook mushrooms they tend to become a bit chewy.
Hope your stuffed capsicum turns out yummy. Let me know!
Thanks! Good ideas!
Enjoy your creation!!