Lamb and Pine Nut Meatballs with Moroccan Salad and Tahini Dressing

 

Spring is traditionally the best time to buy lamb in Australia when it is really in season. Prices should be lower, and lamb more abundant. Peak pasture growth in Spring on sheep properties leads to a surge in supply. We love eating lamb in our house whether it be a slow cooked lamb shoulder, or  the traditional Sunday roast lamb, however lamb mince really lends itself to cooking with Moroccan or Middle Eastern flavours. This recipe demonstrates how delicious lamb mince is when combined with Moroccan herbs and spices and meatballs are always a fantastic way to transform mince into a great meal.

Having said all of the above, here we are in mid-September and I am yet to see a substantial decrease in the cost of lamb products in our supermarkets and butcher shops. I am sure though that is just around the corner. Nevertheless, it is still very worthwhile to buy some lamb mince and make these meatballs for a delicious meal.

Moroccan Meatballs

Serves 4

Ingredients:
400g minced lamb (500g will just make a few more for leftovers)
1 large onion (or 2 small)  finely grated or finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste (optional)
1/2 cup (80g) pine nuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped, or panko breadcrumbs (1/2 cup)
1 tsp. ground paprika
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cumin
(or instead of the above spices use 2 teaspoons of Ras al Hanout spice blend or more if you like it spicy)
1 beaten egg, lightly whisked
A bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
A bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Mix together the minced lamb, onion, garlic, pine nuts, paprika, allspice and cumin in a large bowl. Add the beaten  egg and mix it all together.
2. Toss in the aromatic chopped herbs, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking. Shape the mixture into 12 evenly sized balls with wet hands.
3. Pour the  oil into a frying pan and fry the meatballs over a medium heat, turning occasionally, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, for approx. 10 minutes. Cook until golden brown on all sides and completely cooked through.

Moroccan Salad: (4 serves)
200g spinach leaves
2 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into smallish chunks
2 tbsp. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 spring onions, chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Juice of half or a whole lemon depending on your taste

Method:

Place the spinach leaves in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients to the spinach and toss them all together. Serve with the meatballs and dream that you are in Morocco.

Tahini dressing: (4 serves)
1/4 cup (70g) good quality tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (definitely not the bottled stuff)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup (60ml) warm water

Tahini Dressing Method:

1. Add tahini, lemon juice, cumin, sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper to taste in a small ethnic style bowl and stir to combine.
2. Slowly add the warm water until your dressing reaches a creamy consistency, and it will become nice and creamy. I didn't need all of the water but it depends on how thick the tahini is.
3. Please note:  If you use a good quality tahini from a Middle Eastern shop or deli, the liquid won't have separated from the tahini paste. Unfortunately some of the tahini brands I have tried from the supermarkets have separated and aren't easily mixed back together making the dressing very gluggy.

To serve:
Serve the meatballs with the Moroccan Salad or an Eggplant Salad and the Tahini Dressing. Serve it on or inside pita breads if you wish.

Mr. HRK has started cooking delicious pita and flatbreads in our new gas fired Pizza oven which I featured in my previous In My Kitchen, and I'm looking forward to making this meal again and enjoying it with a batch of his pita bread. This is such a relaxed way for a family to eat. The meatballs can even be cooked in advance and reheated when required.

Warm wishes

Pauline