Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

I  stumbled upon this recipe for Moroccan Lamb Meatballs and made it last night after browsing Pinterest and I will definitely make these flavor packed meatballs again.  These lamb meatballs are simple to make and there are some fabulous spices in them.  I served them with a simple salad and homemade yogurt sauce.  Store-bought Tzatziki is great too.  Shout out to Claire @Sprinklesandsprouts for the recipe.

img_6818
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 small onion (I used a red onion)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 egg
  • 1 slice of white bread ( I used a slice of whole wheat bread)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil
  • 500 g /1.1lb lamb mince (ground lamb)
Instructions
  1. Peel the onion and garlic and place them in a food processor, then blitz until you have an onion mush. Use a spatula to push the mixture down from the sides.
  2. Crack in the egg and pulse mix until you have an egg mush.
  3. Remove the crusts from the bread, rip it into small pieces and add it to the food processor.
  4. Measure in the cinnamon, oregano, parsley, cumin, allspice, paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper and salt, then pulse chop until everything is well mixed. Remove the blade.
  5. Place the ground lamb in a medium bowl.  Add the mixture from the food processor using a spatula. Use your hands to squish and squash the mixture together until it is well mixed.
  6. Once the mixture is well mixed, use two teaspoons to measure out a ball of mixture. Roll it around in your hands and then set the ball aside on cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

img_6813

  1. I aim for 36 meatballs.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan. Once it is smoking hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the meatballs. (Use a screen to prevent splatters and ease in cleanup).
  3. Cook for 2 minutes and then roll them all about to cook the other sides. They will take about 5 minutes in total to cook.

Hint: I have a pretty packed spice cabinet so I had all the ingredients.  If you don’t, you can take a shortcut and buy spice mix.  Williams-Sonoma has  Ras El Hanout in a jar that has a similar but not equal combination of moroccan spices that you could use instead.  Just replace the cinnamon, cumin, allspice, paprika and smoked paprika and pepper with 1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of Ras El Hanout.

 

Ras El Hanout Chicken with Cucumber and Tomato Tabbouleh

Chicken and tabouleh
I only recently discovered  ras el hanout, the dynamic spice blend from Morocco. I found a jar of this flavorful blend at Williams-Sonoma.  I seasoned the chicken with this and just a little salt and pepper…Oh so good!  This recipe pairs the chicken with a yummy sauce of greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon and garlic along with a simple but classic tabbouleh.

Ras El Hanout Chicken with Cherry Tomato & Cucumber Tabbouleh

Makes: 2 Servings

Calories: About 700 Per Serving

Cooking Time: 25 to 35 minutes

Ingedients

  • 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • ½ Cup Plain Low-Fat Greek Yogurt
  • 4 Ounces Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 Cucumber
  • 1 Large Bunch Mint
  • 1 T. Ras El Hanout (found at Williams-Sonoma)
  • 1/4 cup quinoa
  • 1 T. Pistachios (optional)

Instructions

Cook the quinoa:

Add 1/4 cup salted water and the quinoa to a small pan and boil on high.  Once boiling,reduce heat and cover and cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Prepare the ingredients:

Prepare the ingredients:

While the quinoa cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter the tomatoes. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems.  Peel and finely mince the garlic or use a zester so it resembles paste.   Use half of the cucumber for the tabbouleh and half for the yogurt sauce.  For the tabbouleh, medium dice 1 half and  for the yogurt sauce, grate the other half and squeeze if out to remove excess water and prevent yogurt sauce from being too runny. Quarter and deseed the lemon. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, grated cucumber (water removed), half the garlic paste and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the chicken:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with the ras el hanout, salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan, heat 1 T. of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside to cool slightly. Wipe out the pan.

Make the tabbouleh:

While the chicken cooks, to the pot of cooked quinoa, add the tomatoes, diced cucumber, half the mint (cut into small strips with scissors just before adding), remaining garlic paste and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil (optional) and stir to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finish and Plate your dish:yogurt sauce chicken and tabboulehWhen cool enough to handle, thinly slice the cooked chicken on an angle.  Top with the remaining mint and pistahio pieces if desired. Serve with the tabbouleh and yogurt sauce on the side. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Tilapia Meunière with Moroccan-Spiced Lentils & Rainbow Chard

Tilapia and Moroccan-spiced Lentils And Rainbow chard

Tilapia Meunière with Moroccan-Spiced Lentils & Rainbow Chard*

Ingredients:

2-3 Tilapia Fillets
½ Cup Black Beluga Lentils
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Bunch Rainbow Chard
1 Red Onion
1 Lemon
2-3 sprigs of  Parsley (for garnish)
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Capers
2 Teaspoons Ras El Hanout (moroccan spice blend of cardomom, nutmeg, anise, mace, cinnamon, ginger, various peppers, and turmeric)
⅓ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs

Directions: