Lamb Pitas With Yogurt Sauce Recipes

SPICED MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB PATTIES WITH PITA AND YOGURT

Steps:

• For the sauce:
• In a small bow, whisk the yogurt with the lemon juice. Stir in the chopped herbs, season with salt and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the patties and pita:
• In a bowl, use your hands to mix together all of the ingredients, except for the pita. Form the mixture into twelve 3-inch oval patties (about 1 inch thick). Arrange the patties on a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm
• Preheat a grill for at least 10 minutes and prepare it for grilling over moderately high heat. If you are using a charcoal grill, leave one area where you can grill the pita indirectly.
• Oil the grill grates and grill the patties until dark brown grill marks form on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the patties and grill for 4 to 6 minutes longer, until just cooked through.
• Meanwhile, wrap the pita in foil and set the package on the top shelf of a gas grill or in the cooler spot of a charcoal grill and allow them to warm through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Wrap 2 or 3 patties in each pita, spoon some of the yogurt sauce alongside and serve with herb sprigs, passing the remaining yogurt sauce at the table.

LAMB WITH VEGETABLES AND YOGURT SAUCE IN A PITA

Steps:

• Turn on toaster oven or oven. If using broiler, turn on and cover pan with aluminum foil.
• Trim the lamb of fat, and marinate in a small bowl with a mixture of vinegar and oil until ready to cook.
• Mince the garlic, and combine with the yogurt and lemon juice.
• Wash, dry and mince the mint, and add to the yogurt.
• Wash and trim the ends from the cucumbers, and slice very thinly. Wash, trim and slice the tomatoes; then, slice the onion thinly.
• Prepare stove-top grill, if using. Broil or grill lamb 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until it is rare.
• Wrap pitas in foil and heat for about 3 minutes, until they are hot and soft.
• Slice lamb.
• Slice pitas open. If using large ones, cut in half; fill each half with sauce, lamb, cucumbers, tomatoes and onion, then serve. Keep remaining pitas hot. Repeat with remaining halves or whole small pitas.

LAMB SOUVLAKI WITH YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• For souvlaki, mix first 5 ingredients to make a marinade and set aside. Distribute lamb, bell peppers, onion and tomatoes among 8 skewers. Place in a large shallow pan with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, rotating skewers once. Heat a gas grill to medium, or use a charcoal grill and allow the coals to turn a light-ash color. Coat grill with cooking spray. Grill until lamb is medium rare and lightly charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Rotate to cook evenly. To cook in oven, broil on metal skewers 6 minutes, rotating until evenly browned. Grill or toast pitas. For sauce, puree cucumbers and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Place in a fine-screen colander and squeeze out the juice. Reserve juice and discard pulp. Whisk cucumber and lemon juices in a bowl with yogurt. Mix in garlic; season with salt and pepper. Serve with pitas and skewers.

LAMB BURGERS IN PITA WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix first 5 ingredients together in medium bowl. Season yogurt sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Mix lamb and next 5 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Season generously with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
• Preheat broiler. Place lamb patties on broiler rack and broil until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
• Open pita bread rounds; line bottoms with trimmed tops, if desired. Place lettuce, burger, then large spoonful of yogurt sauce in each round. Serve, passing sauce separately.

LAMB PITAS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. To prepare sauce, combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• 2. To prepare pitas, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, remove to plate and set aside.
• 3. Lightly coat same pan with nonstick cooking spray and add onion. Saute 3 minutes or until softened.
• 4. Stir in cooked lamb, oregano, cumin, salt, crushed red pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
• 5. Open pita halves and divide meat mixture evenly among the 4 halves. Add cucumber slices and tomato halves evenly. Top each with some of the sauce and serve.

LAMB PITAS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown lamb in batches. Transfer lamb to a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, reserving drippings in skillet., In drippings, saute onion over medium heat until tender, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in wine, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano and basil. Add to lamb. Cook, covered, on low until lamb is tender, 6-8 hours., To serve, dice enough cucumber to measure 1 cup; thinly slice remaining cucumber. Combine diced cucumber with yogurt and remaining salt. Fill pita halves with lamb mixture, tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and yogurt mixture. Freeze option: Freeze cooled lamb mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth or water if necessary.