Beef & Spinach Pitas

It's about time I posted a new recipe. But what do you cook in the summertime, when all the world is way too hot? First I thought of posting my favorite cookie recipe, but who wants to bake? Then I thought of some no-cooking-at-all type of recipe, but I don't seem to have any of those. So I flipped through my cookbook and came across this recipe. Just a little time at the stove and, voila! A tasty dinner!
Of course when I decided to post this recipe Bruce said we should have it today. Nice! I don't have to figure out what to make for dinner. But I am going to make my own pitas--that kind of defeats the no-baking thing.

BEEF & SPINACH PITAS

whole wheat pitas, cut in half
or you could use those really yummy, Greek flat-breads--the thick, puffy ones, not the thin Flat-Out wraps. Don't cut them in half (unless you're feeding a two-year-old, in which case you might not want to put the filling in them either). Just wrap the filling up--like a taco. That's what I would do!

FILLING:
1 lb. lean ground beef
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
1 tsp. lemon pepper
dried thyme, to taste
dried oregano, to taste
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed (sqeeze as much moisture from spinach as possible)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 can (15 oz.) black olives, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
SAUCE:
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt (you can just use 1/2 cup of sour cream if you don't have plain yogurt, but that's not very Greek. Of course, I don't think Miracle Whip is very Greek either)
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
dash dried thyme
dash dried oregano
salt to taste
dash red wine vinegar
TOPPINGS:
diced red onion
diced Roma tomatoes
cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
sweet bell peppers, diced (optional)

For the Filling: In a large skillet brown the ground beef until crumbly, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and garlic. Drain extra fat from beef; add lemon pepper thyme and oregano; stir well. Add spinach, green onions, and olives. Stir in tomatoes [the drained, canned tomatoes--not the Romas!].

To make the Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with a magic wand until smooth. A magic wand? That's what my mom calls a hand-blender. If you don’t have a hand-blender, drive to the store, purchase a hand-blender, and then blend until smooth. Or you could just use a real blender or a food processor.

Make the Sandwiches: Split pita breads open; line insides with a lettuce leaf. Stir cheese into beef mixture and divide filling evenly among pita pockets. Top with a dollop of sauce, and chopped veggies, to taste. Serve immediately. [Actually I let my family assemble their own sandwiches at the table. I'm not sure if this is easier on me or not]

Yummy!