Tag Archives: Pita bread

Arayes, A Delicious Middle Eastern Meat-Stuffed Pita

Arayes
Prepping for Arayes

prepping for Arayes

Ground Sirloin

Ground sirloin

Arayes with side of hummus

Arayes with side of hummus

Arayes are a very popular street food in the Levant region, and a crowd pleaser. They are easy to make, and  very tasty.  The word Ara’yes in Arabic is the plural word for Arous, meaning bride.

If you are a meat lover, and looking for something quick and satisfying, look no further. I’ve got the perfect dish for you, it’s called Arayes.  It’s a meat-stuffed pita dish that can be made on a week night, if you are pressed for time.

Serves 6-8 with a side dish, based on your appetite
Level of difficulty: Easy This recipe can easily be divided in half.

Ingredients:

  • 4 lb ground beef sirloin *
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 cup flat-leave parsley, chopped
  • 6 garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. allspice  *
  • 1/4 tsp. coriander *
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg *
  • 1-2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • Pita Bread *
  • Lemon, juiced 


    Preparation:
    1) In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, heat up olive oil. Saute the onions for 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté an additional 2 minutes. Add meat, salt, pepper, allspice, coriander, nutmeg.  Pan fry for about 10 minutes on high, depending on what material you’re using. Be careful not to burn the bottom, stir occasionally. It will render some liquid, but will dry up.2) Add tomato paste, and more oil if necessary. Keep stirring, add fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning to your taste. Remove.

    3) In the meanwhile, warm up pita bread in the broiler, but you can also grill them for a more authentic version. Stuff the pita bread with meat,  garnish with parsley, and sprinkle lemon juice on top.  Hummus.Tabbouleh, or Fattoush Salad make wonderful side dishes for this lovely meal. The choice is yours! Visit the links to get the recipes.

Cook’s notes:

1)Traditionally, lamb meat is used in this dish, but ground beef or ground turkey work well also.

2) You can substitute the coriander, nutmeg and allspice for a spice called 7 Spices. It can be  found in Middle Eastern specialty stores.

3) Buy large pita bread and cut in half or use the small ones.

Have fun in your kitchen!

Gina,  Foodiewinelover 

My Food, Wine & Travel Lifestyles 

 

Fattoush Salad, A Lebanese Delight

Fattoush Salad

Recently, my hubby and I were heading to Aventura mall, to celebrate his birthday. We missed the exit, made a u-turn, and ended up at  Gulfstream Park instead. We stumbled upon this Lebanese restaurant called Mijana.  We ordered an assortment of mezze, (or meze) that are small dishes, or plates in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s spelled differently, depending on the region of the world.  We had their luscious, and traditional Lebanese Fattoush salad. It is considered a peasant salad, made with fresh greens, veggies, toasted pita bread, and a lemony dressing. We could not get enough of the intense flavors, and the freshness of the salad. I knew, it wasn’t going to be long, before I attempted to make it in my kitchen. You will need a spice called Sumac, that is tart and full of flavors.

Serves: 4 as a side dish  Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces of romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 5 radishes, sliced
  • 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 of an English cucumber, sliced * (Do not peel)
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
  •  2 small pita bread, cut up in squares, broiled


Dressing:

  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, + more for pita
  • 1/4 tsp. sumac + more to sprinkle
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

  1. Arrange the lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, mint in a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cut pita bread in small squares, place on a tray, and drizzle with olive oil. Broil for about 3 minutes. Make sure you don’t burn them. Remove them.  Place on top of the salad.
  3. Whisk  lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, salt & pepper until blended.
  4. Pour over the salad. Toss well. Sprinkle more sumac to garnish, and drizzle more olive oil, if necessary.  Serve with a piece of chicken or fish, for a delicious and nutritious meal.

Fattoush SaladI hope you will try this refreshing salad, and share your experience with us.

Lebanese food

Lebanese food at Mijana Restaurant

 

Tips: 1) English cucumbers are generally long, with fewer seeds, and the skin is tender. If you don’t have this kind, the regular cucumber will do the job.
2) Some authentic recipes call for pomegranate molasses, but I didn’t have it on hand.  Purslane, a nutritious weed, can also be used, but not easily found in my area.

Happy Tossing!

Gina, Foodiewinelover
My food, wine, & Travel Lifestyles

Recipe inspired by Mijana restaurant, made in my kitchen
Pictures by Gina for Foodiewinelover

 

 

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