Mediterranean food is something I rarely eat, but when I do it is thoroughly enjoyed. The flavor profile is always so refreshing and light. I think that I made this dish when I was in culinary school taking international cuisine class. We were learning about Mediterranean cuisine and that is what inspired this recipe. These taste amazing, they would go perfect with a side salad with a citrusy dressing.
Filling
I make the filling by sautéing ground lamb until lightly browned, then onions until they are translucent. After they reach that stage I add chopped garlic, yellow squash and zucchini.
While these flavors are mingling in the pot, I diced my avocado and made my version of a tzatziki sauce to drizzle on top.
When filling the pockets with the lamb-veggie mixture and avocado I also added marinated mozzarella and dill.
Pita pockets originated in the Middle East about 4000 years ago. They used to be made with water and flour, then were left outside to allow natural yeasts to be absorbed, causing the dough to rise. They would then cook the dough on open fires outdoors to allow the air to become trapped, causing the ‘pocket’
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
| Organic Ground Lamb | 1 lb |
| Yellow Onion medium, diced | 1 |
| Yellow Squash, diced | 1 |
| Zucchini, diced | 1 |
| Garlic, chopped | 4 cloves |
| Avocado, diced | 1 |
| Marinated Mozzarella | 4 oz |
| Greek yogurt | 4 oz |
| Dill | 2-3 sprigs |
| Olive oil | 2 Tbsp |
| Salt | TT |
| Pepper | TT |
Instructions:
- Preheat an oven to 170F, put the pita pockets inside so they are warm when ready.
- Get a pan on medium high heat, add the olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the ground lamb and break it down with a wooden spoon or spatula. Once it is all broken down, add salt and pepper.
- When the lamb is starting to look slightly browned, scoot the meat to one side of the pan and add the onions to the other side. Cook until translucent (3-4 minutes). Next add the squash, zucchini and chopped garlic on the same side as the onions and sauté until cooked (2-3 minutes).
- In a blender, add the Greek yogurt, 1 sprig of dill, a few pieces of the cooked zucchini from the pan, and 1/4 of the diced avocado. Blend and pour into a squeeze bottle.
- Mix the lamb and the rest of the vegetables together in the pan and turn the heat down to low.
- Cut the pita pockets in half, open the pocket and fill about halfway with the lamb mixture, then add some of the marinated mozzarella balls, and avocado. Drizzle the sauce on top of the pitas or inside if you want a cleaner eating experience. Garnish with the remaining dill.
Tips:
- If you think it may be a little difficult to take some of the zucchini out of the pan to add to the blender, you can cook the zucchini separate, then add some to the blender. Then add the rest to the meat mixture after taking the few for the sauce.
Brainstorm:
This is my second Greek dish I am uploading so a majority of my brainstorm ideas on a Greek alternative are in my Greek Lamb Sliders recipe page. Although a few things you can do, is sub out the mozzarella for marinated feta. You could add a squeeze of lemon to the sauce before blending to give it a little more zing. Honestly though, this dish is so good as is, I probably wouldn’t change anything to it. The interesting thing about Mediterranean cooking is it’s simplicity. Such simplistic cooking, that emphasizes the natural flavor of the ingredients should not be pestered with too many different seasonings or spices. Keep it simple and easy folks.
With that being said, that is all that I have for this weeks recipe. I HIGHLY recommend trying this recipe out. Let me know what you think of it or how yours came out.
Have a blessed day, readers.
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