Lamb and feta meatballs

Ok, I know what you're thinking. I know. Perhaps a more appropriate name for this blog should be (at least at this stage) 'Meatballs, chicken and cake'.
'Meatball Lover'?
'Meatball Obsession'?
But you know what? I like meatballs. So I thought I'd spread the love and post another recipe. We're using lamb this time! Yes, you read that right. No minced turkey. Lamb!

So without further ado, I present lamb and feta meatballs with chickpeas and couscous.

To make enough for two very hungry people (or for a small crowd at a party) you'll need:

500g lamb mince (you can go for a lean version)
100 g feta cheese
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
120-150 g dry couscous
a small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt
pepper
olive oil, for frying

Start off by mixing lamb mince, salt, pepper, cumin and feta cheese. Form small meatballs and heat some olive oil in the pan.

Fry meatballs on medium heat until nice and brown; then, after about 3 minutes add onions, garlic and some chopped parsley. Toss the meatballs in the pan to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.


Prepare the couscous: place in a bowl and cover with hot water or stock. I find that 1 centimeter of water above the couscous level does the trick.

While the couscous is soaking up the water add chickpeas to the pan with the meatballs and stir. Simmer for another 5 minutes adding a tiny bit of water or stock so that the chickpeas don't get dry.

Serve on top of couscous with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and more feta cheese.

Now excuse me while I go to a meatball rehab.

Mini turkey pitas

There's something about mini foods I love. Mini burgers, mini cheesecakes, mini cupcakes - cute, right? Plus you feel you can get away with stuffing your face because they are tiny. See, what's not to like?

The idea for these mini pitas popped into my head when I was making my moroccan meatballs and had a few meatballs left. Flattened a bit, they became mini burgers! And since they were a bit exotic, I decided to pair them up with pita breads and houmous. Brilliant. They are super tasty, healthy and ridiculously easy to make. They'll make perfect party food - you could just serve all the ingredients in little trays or bowls and let everyone assemble their own pitas. And call it a Pit(a) Stop. My gosh, aren't I funny today.

Anyway, get the oven hot and embrace all things mini!

To make enough pitas for two (quite hungry) people you'll need:

6-8 mini pita breads

6-8 turkey meatballs, flattened into mini burgers (see recipe here: moroccan meatballs)

a few tablespoons of houmous

a few tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche

a handful of green salad leaves (I used my beloved lamb's lettuce)

1 pepper

2 small tomatoes

a small piece of cucumber

half of butternut squash

olive oil

salt, pepper and paprika

Start off by getting the oven hot (about 180-200 C). Peel and chop butternut squash into smallish pieces, then arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Pop the whole pepper on the tray as well and brush both veggies with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and paprika (or chilli powder if you like a bit of heat). Roast for about 30 minutes until butternut squash is soft.

While the veggies are roasting, chop tomatoes and cucumber into small pieces and cut the pita breads in half (not all the way through - you want to create mini pockets). 

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pan and fry your mini turkey burgers on medium heat until nicely browned and cooked through. 

Take the veggies out of the oven, set butternut squash aside and pop the pepper into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and wait for a few minutes. This is a little trick that will help you peel the skin off the pepper. Once the skin is off, get rid of the seeds and slice the pepper into long strips.

Warm pita breads in the oven for a few minutes, then start assembling them. Spread a little bit of houmous inside, add the burger, then pepper, tomato and cucumber. Add salad, season with salt and pepper and plop a blob of creme fraiche or sour cream on top. 

Serve with butternut squash and more salad. Enjoy!

Moroccan meatballs with zesty couscous

I already professed my love for meatballs, haven't I? Oh yes, here! I also rambled on about my favourite books featuring food porn. Won't happen again. 

But I do love meatballs, so here's another recipe. I'm using turkey mince again, but this time with a little twist. The addition of orange zest and spices makes the meatballs fragrant and delicious while the almonds add a bit of crunch and texture.

To make enough for two you'll need:

500 g turkey mince

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp cinammon

1tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chilli powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

1 orange, zested, then cut into segments

1 onion, finely chopped

160 g couscous

chicken or vegetable stock cube

handful of coriander, chopped

handful of almonds, chopped

olive oil, for frying

In a bowl, mix minced turkey with all the spices and form into small meatballs.

 

Now, even if you luuurve meatballs, you might not want to use all the mince. Fear not, there will be no waste. Take the meatballs you want to save, set them aside on a plate and flatten into mini burgers. Pop them into a freezer and visit the blog next week - I've got a nice recipe lined up using these beauts!

Once the meatballs are ready, chop the onion and heat a bit of oil in the pan. Fry them on medium heat with the onion, tossing the pan so they brown evenly.

While the meatballs are frying get the couscous ready. Put it in a big pot or a bowl, crumble a stock cube in and cover with boiling water (about an inch over the level of couscous). Cover with a lid and leave for about 5-7 minutes.

Now chop coriander, almonds and segment an orange. This video is really helpful if you haven't done it before!

Right, everything should be ready now. Fluff up the couscous, season with salt, pepper and add orange and half of chopped coriander. 

Spoon a few meatballs on top, along with the onions, almonds and the rest of the coriander.