Lamb Meatballs

This is the first time I have ever made lamb meatballs-why oh why have I waited this long?  They're delish!

I'm so glad I found the book Well Fed, by Melissa Joulwan.  Melissa has put together an incredible group of recipes that are actually do-able.  What I mean by "do-able" are recipes that contain ingredients I'm familiar with and the prep steps are something that I can realistically pull together even with my beginner to intermediate cooking skills. 🙂

As I've mentioned before, I'm trying to follow the guidelines set forth in the Whole30 plan 80% of the time.  Well Fed contains recipes that are Whole30 approved.  The recipes demonstrate how tasty living the Whole30 way really can be.

Its fun to serve with toothpicks - it makes mealtime feel more like a party.  We ate our meatballs in our backyard with toothpicks on a perfect spring evening.

I topped the meatballs with pistachios as the recipe suggests.  I've always loved pistachios in all forms and was delighted to see them included in this recipe.  They add the perfect punch to the meat in taste and texture.

These meatballs are a great example of the rich foods you are able to enjoy with Whole30.  I'm a fan of the main tenets of the plan: eat real food and your meals will be satisfying and healthful.  I'm trying to focus on shopping the perimeter of the supermarket (produce and meats) as this is where you will find most of the Whole30 approved foods.

Enjoy these meatballs! 🙂

Recipe

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Lamb Meatballs

Author Five Silver Spoons

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves minced (about 2 T)
• 1 T paprika
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 t salt
• ½ t ground black pepper
• 2 lbs ground lamb
• Sauce:
• 1 T Coconut oil
• 2 medium onions diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves cushed (about 2 t)
• 2 t paprika
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 t salt
• ¼ t ground black pepper
• 2 medium tomatoes diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups water
• ⅔ cup tomato paste
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves minced (about 2 T)
• Garnish:
• ¼ cup roasted pistachios chopped

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the parsley, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper with a fork. With your hands, crumble the lamb into the bowl and knead until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
2. Moisten your hands with water and shake to remove excess. Measure a level T of lamb and roll into a ball between your palms. Line up the meatballs on a baking sheet until its time to put them in the sauce.
3. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper and stir until fragrant. about 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and stir about 1 minute. Add the water, tomato paste, and parsley, mixing to dissolve the tomato paste.
4. Bring the sauce to a oil, then gently place the meatballs in the skillet, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 40 minutes covered, then remove the lid and cook an additional 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Sprinkle each serving with a few teaspoons of shopped pistachios. Yummers!!

Recipe Notes

Recipe from Well Fed cookbook, by Melissa Joulwan