Mamas Lahmajoon Lagh Ma Jun Recipes

ARMENIAN PIZZA (AKA LAHMAJOON)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pulse the garlic in a food processor to mince it. Add the onion and pulse to chop, then add the green pepper and pulse to chop. Add the lamb, tomato paste, tomatoes, parsley, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper; process until everything is very well chopped. The consistency should be wet and pasty, like hummus. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture onto flour tortillas all the way to the edge. Bake directly on the oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the meat is cooked through. If the tortilla begins to inflate in the oven, pop it with a fork from the top. To serve, squeeze some lemon over the top, fold the pizza into quarters, and eat out of hand.

MY MAMA'S BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Season meat with salt and pepper. Top each slice of meat with a slice of prosciutto. In a medium bowl, moisten bread crumbs with milk. Add grated cheese, onion, parsley, arugula, salt and pepper to the crumbs and combine well. Spread a thin layer of stuffing down the center of each beef slice and roll tightly. Fasten rolled meat with plain toothpicks.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to a hot pan along with garlic. Set meat into pan and brown on all sides, 6 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan. Add butter to the pan. Add mushrooms to the melted butter. Saute mushrooms 5 minutes. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Whisk wine into the flour and mushrooms and scrape up pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then whisk in beef broth and tomato paste. Set meat back into sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Partially cover pan with a cover left ajar an inch. Simmer meat in sauce 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer beef rolls to a platter, removing toothpicks. Pour pan gravy down over the beef rolls and serve.

GRAND-MA-MA'S SPAGHETTI SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Turn on the oven broiler to high. Put the rack 10cm from the heat. Put the olive oil in a non-stick fry-pan on medium heat. Add the leftover spaghetti. Turn with a wooden spoon until the spaghetti is warmed. Pour on the eggs and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the cheese over and slide the pan under the broiler. Broil until the eggs are firm and the frittata is lightly browned on top. Slice out onto on to a plate. To serve pile a few slices of the frittata on your favorite bread.

MAMA'S LAHMAJOON (LAGH-MA-JUN)

Steps:

• For the dough: Bloom the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes until foam appears. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, then add the sugar and salt, mix with a spatula. Create a well in the center and pour in the oil and the bloomed yeast. Fold together all ingredients until combined.
• Rub hands with a little vegetable oil and knead the dough thoroughly for about 10 minutes the dough should be smooth and thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 2 1/2 hours.
• Once risen, punch it down, divide the dough into 13 egg-sized balls, and roll each by hand. Roll each ball with a rolling pin into 7 or 8-inch diameter cakes, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• For the meat topping: combine meat, tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, mint, and allspice in a bowl.
• In a food processor, pulse onion and fresh garlic until it has a thick-chunky texture, then add to meat mixture. Next add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and parsley to the food processor and pulse just until fine, then add to meat and onion mixture.
• Lastly, add the tomatoes to the food processor, puree, and then add to meat mixture. Mix well by hand or spatula. Let mixture marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 hours.
• Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture, about 2 ounces, on to each cake and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and edges of dough start to brown. To serve, stack the cakes on top of each other in a tower. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top, followed by a dollop of plain yogurt, roll up like a wrap and eat. Repeat with remaining cakes.