Recipe of the week: Grilled lamb pittas with cucumber salsa

Combining fresh, herby flavours and a delicious cucumber salsa, these pittas are perfect.

Ingredients

250g lamb mince

10g parsley

10g mint

15g red onion

250g cucumber

2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt

2 wholemeal pitta breads

Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon

150g cherry tomatoes

1 little gem lettuce

Method

Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and coarsely chop the little gem lettuce. Cut the red onion in half through the root and then cut it into very thin, crescent shaped slices. Slice each pitta bread in half then finely chop the parsley and the mint.

Peel the cucumber, then use your peeler to peel long thin ribbons of cucumber. When you reach the soft part in the middle, rotate it a bit and carry on peeling. Mix the cucumber ribbons with 2 tablespoons of yoghurt, a teaspoon of sliced red onion and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pre-heat your grill to high heat.

To make the lamb patties, simply mix together the minced lamb, the cinnamon, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt and three quarters of the parsley and mint. Work the mixture really thoroughly with your hands for a few minutes.

Divide the mixture into four portions and gently press each one into a burger shape (try not to compact the meat too much). Rub a light coating of olive oil on each burger before transferring them to a baking tray. Grill them on the top shelf nearest the grill for three minutes on each side.

In a bowl mix together the baby gem lettuce, a sprinkle of red onion, the cherry tomatoes and the remaining parsley and mint. Season your salad with a pinch of salt and pepper before drizzling over a teaspoon of olive oil.

Put the pitta breads on a baking tray under the grill for about a minute on each side to lightly toast them (alternatively you can stick them in the toaster but keep an eye on them as they only need to be warmed up rather than crispy).

Serve the lamb inside the pitta breads, with a healthy spoonful of the cucumber relish and the salad on the side.

• This recipe comes from Zero Waste Scotland. To get tips on how to reduce food waste, visit www.zerowastescotland.org.uk

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