Turkish Lamb Pitas With Tomato Sauce Recipes

PRESSURE-COOKER LAMB PITAS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Select saute or browning setting on a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Adjust for medium heat; add oil. When oil is hot, brown lamb in batches. Add wine to pressure cooker. Cook 30 seconds, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Press cancel. Add onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano and basil. Return lamb to pressure cooker., Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 15 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes; quick-release any remaining pressure. Press cancel., Select saute setting; adjust for low heat. Add tomato paste; simmer, uncovered, until mixture is slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press cancel., To serve, dice enough cucumber to measure 1 cup; thinly slice remaining cucumber. Combine diced cucumber with yogurt and remaining salt. Fill pitas 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 and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

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.

TURKISH KEBABS WITH TOMATO CHILLI SAUCE

Steps:

• Crush 1 garlic clove and mix with 3 tbsp yogurt, the lemon juice, 1 tsp tomato purée, half the spices, and some seasoning in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, toss, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr or overnight.
• Make the chilli sauce. Put 100g of the tomatoes, the whole red chilli, the remaining spices, garlic clove and tomato purée, plus 1 tbsp olive oil, half the red onion and the pomegranate molasses in a food processor. Add some seasoning and pulse until puréed, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, and heat a griddle pan. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers or wooden ones that have been soaked, then wipe off the excess marinade. Skewer the remaining tomatoes on a separate skewer. Lightly oil the griddle with the remaining olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, then transfer to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 mins, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, griddle the tomatoes for 1-2 mins, turning halfway through so they have griddle marks on both sides.
• Serve the chicken and tomatoes on flatbreads with the remaining red onion, pickled chillis, the remaining Greek yogurt, parsley and coriander with the chilli sauce spooned over.

SPICED LAMB & FETA GOZLEME WITH SPECIAL TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the dough, mix the yeast, sugar and 175ml lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast, then set aside for 10 mins, or until the liquid starts to froth.
• Mix the flour with ½ tsp salt in a big bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the yeasty mixture and olive oil, and mix to a dough. Knead for 10 mins, then put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Leave somewhere quite warm until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the mince and fry, breaking up lumps as you go, until well browned. Stir in the garlic, spices and raisins, and fry for a few more mins, then turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest, spring onions, pine nuts and seasoning. Set aside to cool a little.
• Divide the dough into 4. Working a piece at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 25 x 30cm, without the dough splitting. With a long edge of the pastry laying in front of you, spoon ¼ of the mince on the bottom half - leaving a 2cm border all round. Crumble over ¼ of the feta. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling, folding in and pinching the edges to seal in the lamb. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and brush the gozleme all over with oil.
• Cook in batches for 3-5 mins on each side, or until golden and heated through. Quickly mix the tomato ketchup, pomegranate and onion, and serve with the hot, crispy gozleme.

LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SPICED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. In a large bowl, mix together the onion, cream, egg yolks, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper and cayenne. Put the lamb in the bowl, and season it aggressively with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs and parsley, and combine the mixture well. Shape the meat into balls that are a little larger than golf balls.
• Grease a baking pan with olive oil, and put the meatballs onto it, spaced evenly. Place beneath the broiler, and cook, turning once or twice, until the meatballs are well browned, approximately 5 to 7 minutes, then set meatballs aside. Turn oven to 400.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill, or whizz them quickly in a food processor. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat for a minute, then add olive oil, rosemary and red pepper and shake to combine. Cook for another minute, then add onion, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and bay leaf and sauté until the onions are translucent, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar, orange juice and peel, along with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until reduced by a third. Adjust seasoning.
• Pour the tomato sauce into a large baking dish that you can put on the table. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce, putting them about ½ inch from each other. Bake for 15 or 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the meatballs are cooked through.
• Top with crumbled feta and scattered mint.

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.

SPICED LAMB IN PITA

Steps:

• Combine first 8 ingredients in medium bowl; blend well. Shape lamb mixture into four 1/4-inch-thick patties. Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb patties and sauté until brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Cut each pita bread in half; fill each half with lamb patty.

TURKISH LAMB PITAS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For lamb:
• Combine first 13 ingredients and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl; mix to blend thoroughly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Using moistened hands and 1/4 cup for each, shape lamb mixture into about 20 oval patties measuring approximately 3x1 1/2x1/2 inches. Arrange patties on sheet of foil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, return patties to foil. Reserve drippings in skillet.
• For sauce:
• Heat drippings in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, and allspice. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Stir in pomegranate molasses. Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until patties are cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer patties to bowl. Tilt skillet and spoon fat off top of sauce. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, mashing tomatoes with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return patties to sauce. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap pitas in foil; bake 12 minutes to heat.
• Simmer patties in sauce until heated through; mix in green onions. Cut pitas in half; gently open each half. Place 1 or 2 patties and some sauce into each pita half and top with dollop of yogurt.
• *A thick pomegranate syrup that is available at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets.