Lamb Meatball Feast

There was something about this meal that made it seem like a feast. Maybe it was the delicious lamb meatballs, still faintly pink in the center but crusty on the outside and tender, too. I seasoned them with more than salt and pepper...Penzey's Greek seasoning to begin with, then some dried thyme, fresh minced parsley, and garlic powder because I love garlic with lamb. An egg provided binding and a cup of bread crumbs to a pound of ground lamb helped, too, plus gave the basis for the delicious browned crust.

With the meatballs, I served a yogurt-cucumber sauce, with about a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest worked in. It gave a tangy complement to the rich meat. It also was really good with the pine nut couscous (from a box) cooked with chicken broth. Last, but certainly not least, were steamed broccoli florets, for some green and another texture. 

I stirred all of the meatball ingredients together and them put the mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours so the flavors blended. When it was time to cook them, I used a disher to make fairly uniform lumps of the mixture, then used wet hands to form them into balls. Sweetie browned them in a cast iron skillet, using olive oil spray to keep them from sticking. Then they went onto a foil-lined sheet pan and baked in a 375 degree F oven for 12 minutes. Then I just kept checking the internal temperature. Once it was over 180 degrees, I served them with the couscous, broccoli and yogurt-cucumber sauce.

I know that there are no measurements here, but I didn't really do measurements. The Greek seasonings was about a teaspoon, the thyme about 1/2 teaspoon, the garlic about a half teaspoon and the parsley about a tablespoon and a half or two tablespoons, with salt and pepper to taste...really all of it to taste. For the sauce it was about a cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled cucumber, plus the 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.

My computer has been giving me trouble, so not sure when I'll next be able to post. Stay safe and healthy dear reader.