Easy Recipe: Greek-Style Lamb Meatballs
For years I swore up and down that I did not like oregano. The smell of it used to make me gag. Seriously. In fact, it was one of maybe three food/flavors I didn’t like (parsley and strong ginger are still on my “list”) and I was pretty bull-headed about never bringing it into my world. But, as with most things I teach, I like to practice what I preach. And I frequently advise people to try foods and flavors they maybe didn’t like in the past, because, over time, your palate may change. Beyond your tastes changing, the way you use certain ingredients and flavors can change vastly. For the longest time, I likely had adverse reactions to foods containing oregano because they were pizza, pasta (sauce), and other gluten-laden foods.
Clearly those foods didn’t sit well with me, but lamb sure does! Enter my good friend Tony Kasandrinos, “the olive oil guy.” Last summer he introduced me to his family’s olive oil (Kasandrinos Imports) poured generously over a traditional Greek salad: large chunks of chopped cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, sea salt, lemon… and oregano. Oh boy! I honestly could not say no. I had to at least try this salad. And I did. And I liked it.
If this bull (I’m a Taurus, didn’t you know?!) can try something new and change her mind, you certainly can. Enjoy this oregano-rich recipe, I sure do!
As a special treat, my friend Tony is offering 15% off of ALL orders from kasandrinos.com from now through Sunday, July 15, 2012 – just use code “BB” at checkout!
greek-style lamb meatballs
Yield: 2-3 servings
(1 pound of meatballs)
ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground lamb (or other ground meat)
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced or grated
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 2-3 thin slices of fresh lemon
- 1-2 tablespoons of Kasandrinos Imports extra virgin olive oil
preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper until the spices are all well incorporated into the meat.
- Form the meat into approximately 9-12 meatballs and place into an oven safe dish. Place the lemon slices into the pan on top of some of the meatballs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through or is just slightly pink in the center.
- Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the meatballs upon serving.
These meatballs are fantastic with the tomato & olive salad as a side (add cucumbers to make it a more traditional Greek salad).
Yes, you can enjoy this recipe while on The 21-Day Sugar Detox.
The photos in this post were taken with a Canon T2i using a Normal EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens.
Don’t forget to visit kasandrinos.com from now through Sunday, July 15, 2012 – and use code “BB” at checkout to save 15% on all orders!
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Tags: greek, lamb, lemon, meatballs, oregano