Lamb And Blue Cheese Pitas Recipes

LAMB PITAS WITH TOMATO, SCALLIONS AND MINT YOGURT DRESSING

Steps:

• Wrap pitas in foil and warm in a low oven. Thinly slice the cooked lamb. In a small skillet over moderate heat bring the chicken stock to a boil, the reduce heat to low. Add the sliced lamb to reheat while keeping it moist.
• To a second skillet over moderate heat add oil, 1 turn of the pan, diced tomatoes and scallions. Heat tomatoes and onions through, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then turn off the burner.
• Combine yogurt with cumin, coriander and mint.
• To assemble, remove meat from warm broth with tongs and shake off excess liquid. Arrange a few slices of lamb down the center of the pita. Top with a few spoonfuls each of tomatoes and scallions and the yogurt dressing.

LAMB SKEWER PITAS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, onion, dill, vinegar, cumin, honey, salt, cinnamon, pepper and garlic until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
• Make the lamb skewers: In a large bowl, combine the lamb, oil, coriander, cumin, salt, allspice, cinnamon and garlic until evenly coated. Divide the meat into 6 portions and form into logs. Thread each log onto a skewer, then transfer to a plate, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat until very hot. Brush the griddle with oil. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• To serve: Brush the pitas with oil and sprinkle with the zaatar. Add them to the griddle with the lamb and cook until toasted and warm, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, cilantro, parsley, oregano, onions, tomato and fennel. Add the vinegar and 3 tablespoons oil and toss to combine. Season to taste. Remove the meat from the skewers and place on the pitas; top with some salad. Serve with the lemon wedges and tzatziki sauce.

LAMB PITA SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Add the coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of salt to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the spice mixture to the lamb stew meat and use tongs to coat the meat in the spices. Set aside.
• Heat an electric pressure cooker to the sauté setting and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pot. Once the oil is shimmering, add the stew meat in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Brown the meat on all sides, about 4 minutes, then remove to a plate. Add an additional tablespoon of oil, if needed, before adding another batch of meat. Once all the meat has been browned and removed from the pot, add the red wine to deglaze, stirring and scraping the bottom to release any brown bits stuck to the base of the pot. Once the alcohol smell has burned off, 1 to 2 minutes, add the canned diced tomatoes and the browned meat. Stir to combine.
• Place the lid on the pressure cooker and seal. Set to high pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once at high pressure cook for 15 minutes then allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes before manually venting the rest.
• While the lamb cooks, add the fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley, dill, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to a medium bowl. Toss to combine and set aside until ready to assemble.
• To assemble, slice each pita in half and open to create a pocket. Slather each side of the pocket with hummus, then add in a few pieces of romaine lettuce, covering the hummus. Next add a few spoonfuls of the cucumber-onion mixture and top with a few pieces of cooked lamb. Continue the process with the remaining ingredients.

LAMB AND BLUE CHEESE PITAS

Steps:

• Trim all the fat and gristle from the lamb, and slice thinly. Sprinkle with cumin.
• Heat nonstick pan, and saute lamb until it is brown on both sides but still rare in the center, just a couple of minutes.
• Wash, trim, seed and cut jalapeno in half and cut each half into 3 pieces. With food processor running, put jalapeno and garlic through tube and process to mince.
• Wash and trim green onions and cut in thirds. Wash and coarsely chop cilantro to yield 1 tablespoon. Put green onion and cilantro into processor, and process to mince.
• Add the cheese and yogurt, and process to make a sauce. Stir in the lamb.
• Wash the tomatoes, using whichever have better flavor. Slice.
• Heat two pitas in a toaster oven.
• Cut pitas in half, and stuff each half with a quarter of the yogurt-lamb mixture and with a quarter of the tomatoes.
• Repeat with remaining pitas, lamb mixture and tomatoes.