Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and delicious all over, arayes are a prize of Levantine cuisine. To make these flatbread sandwiches, pitas are stuffed with minced or ground meat and traditional aromatics, then baked for the perfect bite. Our Lebanese arayes feature lamb and beef, seasoned with our own version of baharat—a Middle Eastern blend of spices like coriander, cardamom and allspice. Golden raisins add fruity notes to the filling. On the side, in the spirit of simplicity, we’re serving roasted broccoli and labneh cheese (a condiment made from strained yogurt).
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 10 oz Ground Lamb & Beef Blend
- 2 Pitas
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1/2 lb Broccoli
- 1 Parsley
- 2 tbsp Golden Raisins
- 1/4 c Labneh Cheese
- 1 tbsp Baharat Spice Blend (Za'atar, Ground Allspice, Ground Coriander, Ground Cardamom, Ground Cumin & Garlic Powder)
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the broccoli, keeping the stem as intact as possible. Peel and small dice the onion. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Cut the pitas in half.
Roast the broccoli:
Place the broccoli on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and ⅓ of the spice blend; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange the seasoned broccoli cut sides down and roast 24 to 26 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside in a warm place.
Cook the aromatics:
While the broccoli roasts, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion and remaining spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the raisins; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a bowl and set aside in a warm place.
Make the filling & assemble the arayes:
While the broccoli continues to roast, lightly oil a sheet pan. Add the ground lamb and beef, lemon zest and half the parsley to the bowl of cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Using a spoon, evenly divide the filling between the pockets of the pitas. Carefully press on the sides of the pitas to evenly distribute the filling, keeping the pitas as intact as possible. Transfer the arayes to the prepared sheet pan; lightly brush or drizzle the tops with olive oil.
Bake the arayes:
Place the arayes in the oven and bake, flipping halfway through, 14 to 16 minutes, or until the pitas are browned and crispy and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, cut each piece in half.
Finish & plate your dish:
While the arayes bake, in a bowl, combine the labneh cheese and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the baked arayes and roasted broccoli between 2 plates. Garnish the arayes with the remaining parsley. Serve with the seasoned labneh cheese and remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!