Lamb and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad
by Liz Pearson
Ground lamb is often a bargain buy. Here, it’s put to delicious use in an all-in-one meal of stuffed pita sandwiches and a bright, citrusy salad.
Serves 4
2-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large oranges
1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 pitas, halved and very lightly toasted
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add about three-quarters of the onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onion to a small bowl; set aside.
Cook the lamb, cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes; drain well.
Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining raw onion and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the peels and pith from the oranges. Working over a bowl to collect the juice, cut the orange segments free from the membranes. Cut the segments into chunks. Add the oranges, orange juice, cucumber, vinegar, mint, and the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the chopped raw onion; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill the pitas with the lamb and cooked onions. Add some of the orange-cucumber salad and a dollop of yogurt. Serve the remaining salad on the side.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories
(kcal):
470;
Fat
(g):
26;
Fat Calories
(kcal):
240;
Saturated Fat
(g):
9;
Protein
(g):
25;
Monounsaturated Fat
(g):
13;
Carbohydrates
(g):
33;
Polyunsaturated Fat
(g):
2;
Sodium
(mg):
580;
Cholesterol
(mg):
80;
Fiber
(g):
4;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 109
, pp. 22
December 30, 2010