Tag Archives: pita pockets

Egyptian Hawawshi

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An Egyptian street food, hawawshi (pronounced ha-WOW-shi) is a riff on the hamburger, if you will. It is basically dough (or pita in this case) stuffed with a mixture of ground meat—lamb or beef—that is seasoned with tantalizing warm spices, onions, garlic, hot peppers and fresh herbs.

There are three components to making these hawawshi patty sandwiches: the seasonings, the meat mixture, and pita pockets—we used the multi-grain variety. This satisfying sandwich is typically served hot without much else to accompany it, although we both felt it needed a sauce of some sort, such as tahini or tzatziki, neither of which we had. Instead, we made a quick mixture of mayo and Sriracha and spread it in the pocket. And it’s never a bad idea to add a side salad…

Since the original recipe (shown below) made 12 sandwiches, we cut it in half, which also gave us a few leftover for lunches.

Egyptian Hawawshi

  • Servings: 12 pockets
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 large yellow onion quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into large chunks
  • 1 jalapeno, halved and seeded (leave some of the seed if you like heat)
  • ½ oz. fresh parsley stems, trimmed
  • 2 lbs. lean ground lamb or beef
  • 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • Kosher salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 pita pockets

For the Hawawshi Seasoning (Spice Mixture)

  • 1 tsp. coriander
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • ¾ tsp. cardamom
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl, add the spices and mix to combine.
  3. Put the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse a few times until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a sieve to drain excess liquid (it helps to push with the back of a spoon).
  4. Transfer the onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the ground beef and tomato paste. Mix to combine. Add the spice mixture and a dash of kosher salt. Mix again until the mixture is well combined and the spices are well distributed within the meat mixture.
  5. Cut the pita loafs in halves to create 12 pita pockets.
  6. Prepare a large sheet pan brushed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
  7. Stuff each pita pocket with â…“ cup of the meat mixture. Using the back of a spoon, spread the meat mixture inside the pita pockets.
  8. Arrange the pitas in the prepared sheet pan. Brush the pita pocket tops with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
  9. Bake in the heated oven for 15, then carefully turn the pitas over and cook on the other side another 5 to 10 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and the pita is crispy on both sides.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Suzy Karadsheh

Mediterranean-Inspired Veal Pattie Pockets

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Thinking outside the box for a good plan to use up a couple of ground veal patties, I concocted this Veal Pattie Pita Pockets with Olive Red Pepper Tapenade. And as a side, I paired them with this Celery Root Salad with Celery, Flat-Leaf Parsley and Capers found in a recent issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. The meal is quick, and there’s not a lot of prep.

One multi-grain pita pocket split in two afforded the perfect bed to nestle in the tapenade and veal patty. For a soft warm pita, first wrap the pocket in foil and heat in a 325° oven for about 15 minutes.

Consider it a hearty lunch or an evening meal, either way it’s a tasty diversion from the norm.

Mediterranean-Inspired Veal Pattie Pockets

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ground veal patties, about 7 oz. each
  • 1 Tbsp. Adobo Seco seasoning divided (optional)
  • 1 whole grain pita pocket, split in two

Olive Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade (Yields about 1 cup, 10 min)

  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. capers
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. freshthyme
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. When temperature is reached, insert foil-wrapped pita pocket for 15 minutes, remove from oven and keep wrapped until veal patties are ready.
  2. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle each patty all over with Adobo Seco seasoning (if using), or simply salt and pepper.
  3. When skillet is hot, add the two veal patties and cook without disturbing for 5-6 minutes.
  4. Turn the patties over, cover the skillet and cook another 5-6 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 135°-140°F.
  5. Meanwhile, process all of the tapenade ingredients in a food processor, pulsing just until finely chopped, but not at paste consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Spread a couple tablespoons of tapenade into each warm pita pocket and insert veal patty. Serve with a side of Celery Root Salad with Celery, Flat-Leaf Parsley and Capers (recipe follows).

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Celery Root Salad with Celery, Flat-Leaf Parsley and Capers

A hearty salad made with celery root—that peculiar-looking hairy knob. All gnarly and off-putting, it’s amazing how good it can be both cooked as in our Celery Root Purée, or raw as julienned in this recipe. We loved it and enjoyed the leftovers for several days in a row.

Celery Root Salad with Celery, Flat-Leaf Parsley and Capers

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • 1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Salad

  • 1 large celery root (about 1 1/4 lb.)
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and blotted dry

Directions

Make the Dressing

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the sugar. In a thin steady stream, whisk in the olive oil until incoporated. Set aside.

Make the Salad

  1. Use a sharp knife to cut off the gnarly base of the celery root, and cut a thin slice off the top.
  2. Use a paring knife to remove the thick outer peel. Slice in half vertically and julienne-cut on a mandoline into matchsticks and immediately add to the dressing, tossing to coat thoroughly to prevent browning.
  3. Add the celery, parsley, and capers to the bowl and mix well. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

TIP: The salad can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator until about 45 minutes before serving.

http://www.lynnandruss.com