Juicy lamb meets Greek spice and fresh vegetables for a filling and healthy meal. These meatballs can also be served as a stand alone appetizer, in pita bread or on a platter of rice with hummus and tzatziki. Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1/2 cup panko (use rice-panko for gluten free)
1/3 cup feta cheese (add another 1/2 cup panko for dairy free)
2 Tbl. Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1 small yellow onion, grated or processed in food processor
1/2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried mint
1 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp. Chive and Dill Dip
Salad
6 oz butter lettuce leaves
1 cup olives, kalamata and lemon stuffed green olives are my favorite
1 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/3 cup sliced cucumber
1 cup hummus (plated off to the side to dip meatballs)
Salad Dressing
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Lambrusco Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbl. Dijon
Salt and Pepper
Chopped herbs if you have them, about 1 Tbl of fresh chopped
Method:
Combine all meatball ingredients. Using your hands, mix the ingredients until combined well. If you want to keep your hands clean you can use your food processor to pulse ingredients or use a nitrile glove. Be careful to avoid overmixing in the food processor, which can lead to a rubbery texture.
Allow flavors in the meatballs to mingle for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator for best results. In the meantime, whisk together Greek yogurt, lemon juice and Chive and Dill Dip. I like to use the Zoi brand or Fage for this dip and whisk until smooth. Stir in cucumber and refrigerate until serving.
When you are ready to cook, roll meatballs into golf ball sized balls, approximately 1.5 inches. I prefer to roll a ball and then squish it just slightly if pan frying or leave round if roasting. Pan frying is the way to go unless you are making these for a big crowd because it results in a delicious crispy brown crust, but it is more time consuming if feeding a crowd so both options are listed below.
Pan Fry - Heat about 1 Tbl. of EVOO in a fry pan over medium heat. Once oil begins to shimmer add meatballs and fry until brown and crispy on the first side, then turn. Aim to only turn once and reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Oven Roasted - Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Arrange meatballs on a non-stick half-sheet pan or with parchment on a non-coated pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
Allow meatballs to cool to room temp once done. Assemble salad ingredients on a large plate or shallow bowl. Whisk together salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over salad.
Top with meatballs and then add a dollop of the yogurt mixture to the top of each meatball. Add a scoop of hummus off to one side.
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