Arayes

These Middle Eastern meat stuffed pita bread are the perfect bite. The pita is crunchy and the filling is well seasoned and tender. Very addicting!

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Lamb or Ground Beef, lean or 1/2 a pound of each combined
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 tbsp All spice, ground or 7 spice
• 1 tbsp Paprika preferabbly smoked
• Salt & pepper to taste at least 1 tsp salt.
• 1/2 Onion
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 cup Parsley
• 2 tsp Red chili paste
• 5 Pita Bread cut in half and opened
• 2 tbsp Olive oil for brushing the pita

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse together the onion, garlic, and parsley. Drain from excess liquid.
2. Add that mixture to the ground meat and mix.
3. Season the ground meat with the above seasonings, tomato paste, and chili paste. Make sure it is well seasoned.
4. Mix everything together very well.
5. Place about 1/3 cup of filling into each pita; about medium thickness. Spread it out. The meat layer should be visible when looking at the opened side of the pita.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
7. Brush olive oil on each side of the pita then sprinkle with a little salt. You can also use non stick oil spary and spray each side of the pita.
8. Add the pita’s to a baking pan preferably with a rack. Bake for about 8-10 minutes on each side until crisp. You can broil each side for a minute as well for extra crispiness if you do not have a rack. Enjoy warm. You can use plain yogurt to dip with this or toum (garlic sauce).

Notes

To avoid sogginess, do not over-oil the pitas. Just enough to lightly coat it. The meat should be lean to avoid extra grease which will result in sogginess as well. If after baking the arayes aren’t as crispy as you would like; just put them under the broiler but watch them so they do not burn.