Sfeeha on pita

There is no question sfeeha is a masterpiece in the Lebanese kitchen.

What happens though when one does not have the time, energy or inclination  to make the dough, let it rise, roll it out,  pinch it gently into these adorable mini-meat pies, let them rest, bake, then serve  to a famished audience?

Enter sfeeha on pita.

Make sfeeha filling (in a jiffy) into a paste, slather it on a pita, bake it in the oven 7  minutes and top it with chopped onions, parsley and diced tomatoes.

BIG flavor in mere minutes.

INGREDIENTS: 8 servings

• 1 pound of ground beef (98% fat free, if possible)
• 4 ounces of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of minced Italian parsley
• 3 Tablespoons of tahini
• 1 teaspoon of garlic paste (3 cloves of garlic mashed in a mortar with a dash of salt)
• 1 Tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
• 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
• 3 Tablespoons of labneh (yogurt cheese)
• Spices: 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste), 1 teaspoon of seven-spice, 1 teaspoon of sumac, 1 teaspoon of hot Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon (or more, to taste) of dried chili flakes

METHOD:

1. Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.
2. Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.
4. Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. Serve warm topped with the salad mixture.

Suggestions for a salad:

• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups of chopped Italian parsley
• 1 cup of chopped onion or green onion
• 1 cup of pomegranate seeds
• Dressing: 1/4 cup of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of sumac, 1 teaspoon of salt, a dash of allspice