Pitas Stuffed With Lamb Burgers and Peppers

• 12 ounces whole red or yellow peppers or 11 ounces chopped, ready-cut (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces whole onion or 7 ounces chopped, ready-cut onion (1 2/3 cups)
• 1 large clove garlic
• Sprigs of fresh thyme to equal 1 tablespoon leaves or 1 teaspoon crushed, dried thyme
• 6 medium French, Italian or Greek olives
• 8 ounces ground leg of lamb
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
• 4 medium whole-wheat pitas
• 8 ounces ripe tomatoes
• 4 scallions

1. Wash, trim, seed and chop peppers.
2. Heat nonstick pan large enough to hold peppers and burgers until it is very hot; reduce heat to medium high, and add oil.
3. Add peppers, and saute until they begin to soften.
4. Meanwhile, chop onion finely, and mince garlic; chop fresh thyme leaves; pit the olives, and chop.
5. Combine with lamb, pepper and bread crumbs, and shape into 4 patties.
6. Add lamb burgers in between the peppers, and saute on both sides until they are pink in the middle.
7. Slice about an inch off the top of the pitas, and heat two of them in the toaster oven until they are hot but not crisp, just a couple of minutes.
8. Wash, trim and slice tomatoes; wash, trim and chop scallions.
9. When peppers are cooked and burgers are done, stuff each pita with a burger, a quarter of the tomatoes and scallions, and some of the peppers.
10. Serve the remaining peppers on the side.
11. Toast the remaining two pitas, and repeat the stuffing process.

red, olive oil, onion, clove garlic, thyme, italian, ground leg, freshly ground black pepper, bread crumbs, pitas, tomatoes, scallions

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7135 (may not work)