Please enjoy the delicious recipe below for one of our favorite Middle Eastern dishes…

Lamb Patties with Hummus and Pita (taken from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson)

Ingredients for the patties:
1/4 cup of bulgur wheat
18 ounces lean ground lamb
4 tsp. dried mint
4 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil for frying

Ingredients for the sandwiches:
Approx. 8 pita breads
1 head of Boston lettuce, shredded or chopped in bite size pieces
Fresh mint, chopped
1 red onion, halved and sliced into very thin half-moons
1 & 1/3 cup hummus
1 & 1/3 cup whole-milk yogurt
Approx. 1 tsp. ground cumin
2-4 tomatoes
1-2 lemons

Instructions:
Soak the bulgur wheat by covering it with boiling water and leaving it for 15 minutes in a small bowl.

Drain the bulgur thoroughly, pressing the water out in a sieve and put it in a bowl with the ground lamb. Add the dried mint and oregano, mince in the garlic and add the lemon zest. Stir everything thoroughly and then form into small walnut-sized patties, then flatten them slightly between your hands and arrange them, as you go, on a baking sheet or plate lined with plastic wrap and let them stand for 20 minutes in the refrigerator to firm up. If you want to, you can cover them, too, and refrigerate for up to 6 hours before frying them.

Fry the patties in a little olive oil until cooked through, and a beautiful golden brown on both sides.

To make sandwiches:
Toast or warm each pita bread and then stuff it with a salad of shredded lettuce, chopped mint and red onions. Dollop into each gaping pita a couple of tablespoons of hummus/yogurt/cumin mixture, and lastly 4-5 lamb patties. Then top with chopped tomatoes and a good spritz of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!

Note: Chicken can be substituted for lamb. Marinate boneless chicken breasts (that have been cut into medium size pieces that will fit nicely into pita bread) in olive oil, lemon juice and kosher salt, pepper, and a generous amount of Italian seasoning. Marinate in fridge for a couple of hours, remove and let come to room temperature before frying to a golden brown in butter.