Pregnancy Food – Spiced Ground Lamb in a Pita Panini
When my wife was pregnant with our children many years ago, there were foods she would eat and those she would not. The ones she ate, she ate all the time. The dishes she would not eat, I sometimes cooked anyway as she stood in the backyard away from the smell to prevent gagging. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason, the only explanation being the alien invasion that had taken over her body.
Some of her favorite flavors were off the menu until after delivery. A clove of garlic simmered or sautéed triggered nausea, for example. Luckily pregnancy was only temporary.
Other foods, perhaps not mainstays within our repertoire, became staples. With our daughter it was cheese and cream sauce, Alfredo to be specific. She couldn’t get enough of it. When carrying our son, she ate eggs by the dozen. And ice cream was always on the menu. “The doctor told me I need more calcium,” she would argue, despite the fact that no one had questioned how much ice cream passed her lips. On one occasion, a week or two before the onset of labor, she shuffled away with the largest ice cream cone of her life, far bigger than a softball. Balanced neatly atop a cone, a gift from the server; she had no problem finishing it.
Since one can’t survive solely on Alfredo or eggs or ice cream, my wife got fixated on another snack that settled easily during pregnancy. She would open pita cut in half at its equator and stuff it with American cheese. The cheese would melt in the toaster oven as it warmed. Occasionally she added a slice of fresh tomato. I don’t think I’ve seen her eat this since, but it was a major component of her pregnancy diet. Quick, warm, cheesy, and satisfying with a slight toasty crunch, it hit the spot and helped feed the beasts inside of her.
I recently recalled this simple pregnancy snack when I contemplated a more substantial stuffed pita. For some reason, my thoughts had been on a Middle Eastern-spiced ground lamb; maybe something with Lebanese or Turkish flavors. I was trying to think of a fast, simple, satisfying way to turn it into one course among many during a small plates meal. Stuffed into a pita would be good, but sealed with melted cheese and pressed like a panini would be better.
With crisp edges, melty cheese, and spiced, ground meat, this may not be exactly what you’d find on a Middle Eastern street corner, but it sure hit the spot. And while it likely had too much flavor for my wife when she was pregnant, she sure seemed to like it now that our kids are grown.
Spiced Ground Lamb in a Pita Panini
I’ve never been to Turkey or Lebanon, but I figured these cultures must have some kind of meat-stuffed bread. A quick internet search revealed gozleme, Turkish stuffed flatbreads, and arayes, Lebanese stuffed pitas that are often grilled. While my version is clearly inauthentic, it hits some of the same flavor notes, is easy to make, and is satisfyingly delicious. Served with olives, raw vegetables, and labneh (thick, strained yogurt), it makes for a hearty meal.
20 minutes, serves 2
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ large onion, finely chopped
½ lb. ground lamb
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground sumac
2 pocket-type pitas
1 cup grated mild melting cheese, like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or cheddar
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add ground lamb and cook until almost cooked through. Stir in salt and spices until combined and cook for another minute or two until meat is browned. Remove meat to a small bowl to cool, leaving most of the grease behind.
- Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.
- Open both pita pockets by slicing through the edge all around with a sharp knife. Place about ¼ of the cheese on each of two halves of pita, and cover each with half of the cooked, spiced meat. Cover each with toasted pine nuts and remaining cheese and top half of the pita.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in the skillet. Place one pita in the skillet and cover with another skillet or heavy pot to press the pita. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned and crispy and cheese is beginning to melt. Flip pita, cover with skillet or heavy pot and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until done.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and repeat with the remaining stuffed pita.
Max – I remember visiting you during one of Marci’s pregnancies and eating American cheese melted in a pita. I adopted that snack and still love it. Nothing melts like American cheese.
Anne – I remember you eating it during and after that visit!! Marci hasn’t had one in years. And yes, nothing melts like American cheese. I’d argue that’s its best characteristic.