ROOTS RECIPES: Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs & Roasted Carrots over Bone Broth Rice
A fusion of fresh herbs, warming cinnamon, tangy whipped feta and savory Mediterranean lamb come together to create the perfect dinner!
If you’re looking for a flavorful dinner that is a step outside of the typical menu, this is going to be your new favorite. This lamb meatball recipe is versatile, nutrient-dense, and soooo delicious. Most ingredients can be found at your local farmer’s market or grocery store. This one takes a little bit of extra planning and a decent amount of prep work, but we promise it’s worth it! We like to double the recipe and make a bigger batch of everything so we can have leftovers during the week.
The key here is to always have something cooking while you prep the next thing - I like to start with cooking the rice first, then the meatballs, then the carrots, followed by the whipped feta and the garnish. You could also break it up and prep the carrots and rice the day before, leaving just the meatballs and feta for the following day. However you decide to do it, set a vibey mood for yourself to enjoy the space and find a groove while you cook! Good music is absolutely encouraged. See one of our favorite playlists here:
Recipe below!
Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs & Roasted Carrots over Bone Broth Rice
Servings: ~12 meatballs
Total Prep & Cook Time: about 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1 pound of ground lamb (or beef, or a combination of the two)
1/2 medium onion, chopped very finely OR put through a food processor
Honestly, the food processor trick is so worth it! Chop your onion into 4 large chunks then let the blade do the work for you. It will also create a nicer, smoother texture for the meatballs at the end.
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fine sea salt also works, if that’s all you have - we use Redmond’s Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 1.5 tbsp dried parsley)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1.5 tbsp dried cilantro)
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)
2-4 tbsp cassava flour (optional)
Cassava flour is a great substitute for regular flour or breadcrumbs in meatball recipes - if you need a thickening agent or want to stretch your meat a bit further, adding in a few tablespoons of ground cassava is a perfect alternative! You can eyeball the measurements until it fits your desired consistency.
FOR THE WHIPPED FETA
1 block of feta cheese, about 8 oz (I’m a BIG fan of this one.)
3 tbsp Plain Greek yogurt
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Lemon zest, fine sea salt, and black pepper to taste
FOR THE CARROTS
1 pound of organic carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 - 2 tbsp cooking oil of choice (we like melted ghee or avocado oil)
flaky salt, for garnish
FOR THE RICE
1 cup organic jasmine white rice
1.5 cups bone broth (I liked the taste of beef bone broth for this one, but you could always use chicken bone broth as well!)
GARNISH
(no measurements, use your best judgment and taste!)
chopped parsley
pomegranate seeds
cucumber, cut into short matchsticks
red onion, sliced thin
extra virgin olive oil
Maldon Sea Salt flakes (honestly makes everything taste better!)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
First: Make the rice. In a small or medium pot, add your bone broth and rice. Bring to a boil. Once a boil is achieved, lower to a simmer and cover with a fitted lid. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Next: Make your meatballs! In a large mixing bowl, add the ground lamb, very finely chopped (or processed) onion, spices, and chopped herbs (and cassava, if using). Mix well until all the flavors are evenly distributed.
Create small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. If you have a baking scale, you can weigh the meatballs to roughly 1.2-1.4 ounces each. Place the meatballs evenly spaced on a baking sheet.
Insert meatballs in the oven and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Flip them and then cook for another 8-10 minutes. You will know they are ready when the internal temp reads at least 165 degrees F. You can check the meatballs periodically and rotate the tray halfway through to promote even cooking, as well as to make sure they don’t overcook! (***I have also cooked my meatballs at 350 F for about 15 minutes, so cooking times will vary based on your oven***).
Third: Make the carrots. While the meatballs cook, prep your carrots. Cut off the tops and bottoms then slice lengthwise into even sticks.
After the carrots have been sliced, toss or brush them in your melted ghee/avocado oil then arrange on your second baking sheet. Pierce each carrot with a fork one or two times. This step allows the carrots to release steam while they cook and promotes a more even roast.
Once the meatballs are ready, remove them from the oven and ensure the oven temperature is at 425 F. Roast the carrots in the oven for 25 minutes.
Fourth: Make the whipped feta. Add your feta, yogurt, olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest to a small food processor. Blend until smooth.
Finally: At this point, you can prep any garnish you want for your plate. You might toss your cucumber and red onion in some olive oil with salt, chop up some more fresh parsley, or prep the pomegranate seeds if you are de-seeding from a whole fruit.
Once everything is cooked and ready to go, you can assemble your plate! Take two large scoops of cooked rice, add meatballs, whipped feta, cucumber & onion salad, and carrots. Garnish with fresh parsley and pomegranate seeds, and a touch of flaky sea salt. Share with a loved one and enjoy!
