When I first learned of Fattoush Salad, I felt like I hit the jackpot. All the fresh vegetables, and the crunch of seasoned, toasted pita scattered within the salad…does it get much better? I don’t know about you but I need a little crunch in my salads – I have a weakness for crunchy croutons so I try to healthfully swap for nuts instead. Toasted whole wheat pita (I love the Joseph’s brand) is another go-to of mine after discovering this Middle Eastern inspired salad.

My version of Lebanese Fattoush Salad isn’t as traditional as it could be. I didn’t have sumac on hand and most recipes you will see do use sumac (it is dark in color and has a tangy lemony flavor) so instead I used za’atar which is a blend of spices that does typically includes sumac. Traditionally made or not, this is one of my favorite salads. This is the za’atar spice I use, thanks to my friend Liz‘s recommendation years ago.

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It’s all about you today Liz, SURPRISE!!! I am so so excited to share with you this recipe today in honor of my dear friend Liz of The Lemon Bowl and her soon to be baby boy! A group of bloggers and I are getting together to shower Liz with lots of love, well wishes and of course food…food that is themed around Liz’s all time favorite ingredient – lemon. Thanks so much to Rachel, Kristen and Sheila for hosting this for our friend!!

I connected with Liz sometime last year through our blogs and I’m so glad we did because I can honestly say she is one of my most dearest friends in my life today. We share a lot in common, including a passion for healthy living and cooking. The more I have gotten to know Liz, the more I felt like I’ve known her 20 years – she’s one of those people that is always positive, down to earth and just great to be around. She’s good people. And…the girl can cook!!! I swear every time I ask her what’s she’s having for dinner I basically drop my plan and end up making the same. We are definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to food.

And apparently babies, since Liz’s little boy is due just a short time after my little boy. 🙂 It’s been an absolute pleasure to be “preggo buddies”  the last 9 months. I’m not sure I could have stayed sane without her!

(Liz and I at Food Blog Forum at Disney earlier this year)

Knowing Liz, and her love of good, healthy food and fresh flavors of the Mediterranean, I put together a dish that I would serve her if she was actually over hanging out with me. This Kalamata Olive and Feta Dip is Greek yogurt based and includes a good pinch of a spice that Liz introduced me to called za’atar. And of course, it has some lemon.

The pita chips I served it with are baked up with some olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning. I got my daughter involved in the preparation of them by having her brush olive oil over the pita triangles and sprinkling the seasoning over each piece before baking up. Brushing olive oil on ingredients has become my daughter’s thing lately, I have not always been great about getting my kids involved in the kitchen so it’s fun to provide my little girl with a go-to job that is helpful and I know she can handle. No dip plate is complete without fresh crunchy veggies (and I think Liz would agree) so sliced radishes and cucumbers joined the party and were the perfect accompaniment for this delicious snack.

This Kalamata Olive and Feta Dip with Lemon Pepper Pita Chips made for a great munchie during one of our Saturday afternoons watching the Gators play. I can’t wait to make it again!

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