Arayes (Lebanese Quesadillas)

….Many recipes are being used to easily create tortillas topped with seasoned ground meat and cooked directly on a pan with various toppings. In my opinion, these seem to be adapted from Lebanese quesadillas. I had a few thick pitas left, so I tried making them conveniently. This dish is a convenient snack consisting of pita bread filled with a mixture of minced meat that is seasoned and enriched with garlic and herbs. The bread is typically cut in half, and then the beef is spread thinly on the inside of the pita bread before being coated in olive oil and pan-fried or grilled until crisp. The dish can be served as a snack or a main course, preferably with yogurt, lemon, and olives on the side, which are easy to prepare. Here’s how to make delicious beef Arayes at home with just a few ingredients. If you love Middle Eastern food, you are going to adore this classic Lebanese street food. One of the reasons I love these Lebanese stuffed pitas so much is because they can be prepared very quickly — perfect for when we’re short on time. Arayes can be made with all sorts of pita breads — large, small, thin, or thick. Feel free to have fun and experiment! Using too much oil in the pan can make the pita pockets a little greasy. If you don’t have olive oil spray, simply brush the surface with olive oil. Arrange Arayes on a platter and serve with Tahini dipping sauce. You can serve them whole or cut them into smaller pieces — it’s up to you! I halved it and made it enjoyable.

Servings: 10 pita halves

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 5 pita bread, the thick pocket type, cut in half
2. Olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil)
3. 5–10 green olives

For the spiced meat filling:

1. 1/2 onion, minced
2. 1 lb ground beef, removed the blood with a kitchen paper towel
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
5. 1 tbsp ground coriander
6. 1 tbsp ground cumin
7. 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
8. 3/4 tsp ground allspice
9. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
10. 1 1/4 tsp sea salt

For the Tahini Yogurt sauce:

1. 1 cup plain yogurt
2. 2 tbsp tahini
3. 1 1/2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice
4. 1 garlic clove, minced
5. 1/2 tsp sea salt

Cooking Instructions:

1. Put the plain yogurt, Meyer lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, and tahini in a bowl and mix them well. Keep it in the refrigerator.

2. Marinate the meat: place the ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, ground allspice, cayenne pepper, and sea salt in a tray and mix them evenly.

3. Divide into 10 portions, flatten each into a thin semi-circle roughly the shape of a pita half. Stuff the mixture inside the pita and enclose, pressing to spread it to the edges. If the pita is tearing, microwave it for 15 seconds, then use a sharper knife to split it.

4. Spray both sides of the pita with oil.

5. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and pan-fry them for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until crispy and the meat is cooked.

6. Serve it with the sauce and some olives (this is optional).