Lamb Meatballs With Middle Eastern Inspired Romesco

This dinner recipe could not be easier and is a refreshing change from the standard beef meatball. Not only is the lamb meatball flavorful in itself. But when paired with this Middle Eastern Inspired Romesco, it’s out of this world.

These lamb meatballs come together very quickly and only take 9 minutes to bake! The perfect meal for busy weeknights. To make the meatballs, simple combine ground lamb meat with a touch of greek yogurt and a single egg yolk to keep things moist. Then, stir in some spices and breadcrumbs and you’re all set!

The Middle Eastern Inspired Romesco sauce is just as easy to create! To make the sauce, I begin with the standard romesco recipe that I use for this Cauliflower Steak recipe, but substitute the paprika for beloved Middle Eastern spices: sumac and za’atar.

Ground Lamb – This recipe uses ground lamb, but in a pinch, you can always use ground beef for a more traditional meatball. I encourage you however to stick with the lamb. Lamb is full of omega 3 fatty acids and protein making it a healthy protein choice.

Greek Yogurt – you won’t want to skip this ingredient! The yogurt keeps the lamb meat moist while they bake. I use plain fat-free greek yogurt, but you can use any as long as the flavor is plain.

Egg Yolk – Like the greek yogurt, the egg yolk keeps the meatballs moist, and helps the meatball stick together.

Shallot – A finely minced shallot adds a ton of flavor! You won’t want to skip this ingredient, however in a pinch, you can use ¼ of a yellow onion.

Garlic – Like the shallot, the garlic adds a ton of flavor. I used 2 garlic cloves, but you can easily substitute this for ½ Tsp garlic powder.

Bread Crumbs – This ingredient adds texture and volume to your meatballs. I use Panko but feel free to use any brand or make your own by toasting bread and crumbling it.

Spices – cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and whole black peppercorns, along with salt of course, are all used here. For extra flavor, I toast my spices (cumin, fennel, and peppercorns) first by cooking them over medium heat in a dry skillet. Then I grind them in a motar and pestle or spice grinder, so they can easily be mixed into the meatballs. If you do not have a motar and pestle or spice grinder, you can simple give the seeds a rough chop with your chefs knife. If you do this, use ground pepper instead of peppercorns. Those suckers are impossible to chop with a knife!

Roasted Red Peppers – This makes up the base of the sauce, and while you cannot skip this ingredient, you can play around with it. Why not experiment and roast your own peppers. Maybe try a green or orange bell pepper instead of the standard red. Alternatively, if purchasing from a store, you can try fire roasted red peppers, or just keep it simple with regular.

Almonds – The nuts are what provide the romesco with texture. I prefer to add the almonds in last so they do not get too blended. But if you are looking for a smoother sauce, feel free to add them to the food processor first. Bonus step, try roasting them in a dry skillet first for extra flavor.

Tomato & Tomato Paste – The tomato adds liquid to help the sauce come together, and the tomato paste gives flavor.

Spices – Instead of the traditional paprika, I used Middle Eastern favorites, sumac and za’atar. I also added red pepper flakes for a bite, but feel free to omit.

4-5

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10

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• Lamb Meatballs

• 1 Lb Ground Lamb

• 2 Tbs Plain Greek Yogurt

• 1 Egg Yolk

• ½ Cup Bread Crumbs

• 1 Small Shallot, Finely Minced

• 2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

• 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds

• 1 Tsp Kosher Salt

• ½ Tsp Pepper

• Middle Eastern Inspired Romesco

• ½ Cup Roasted Red Peppers

• ⅓ Cup Almonds

• 1 Roma Tomato

• 2 Tsp Tomato Paste

• 3 Garlic Cloves

• 2 Tbs Olive Oil

• 1 Tbs Sumac

• 1 Tsp Za’atar

• ½ Tsp Rosemary (Optional)

• ½ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

• 1 Tsp Salt and Pepper to Taste

• Lamb Meatballs
• Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, greek yogurt, egg yolk, shallot, garlic, bread crumbs, toasted & ground spices, salt & pepper. Use your hands to mix together until everything is well combined.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and form your meatballs. I made mine approximately 40 grams and was able to make 15 meatballs.
• Optional: Spray your meatballs with olive oil to help them crisp up in the oven.
• Bake your meatballs for 8-9 minutes until they are approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Middle Eastern Inspired Romesco
• Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir every so often so they do not burn. Roughly 5-7 minutes (less time if using slivered almonds!)
• While the almonds are toasting, make the rest of the sauce. Combine the roasted red peppers, tomato, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, rosemary, sumac, za’atar, red pepper flakes if using, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until full combined and smooth. Remove the almonds from the stove and add them to the food processor. Blend until you reach your desired consistency. I prefer more texture to my sauce, but feel free to blend for longer.
• To serve
• Spoon the romseco sauce onto a plate and add the lamb meatballs on top. Serve and enjoy!

• I use a motar and pestle to grind the spices that go into the meatballs. If you do not have one or a spice grinder, roughly chop the fennel seeds and cumin seeds, and substitute the whole peppercorns for ground pepper.