Lamb Meatball Bowls with a Feta Yogurt Spread and Zesty Greek Pesto
This Mediterranean inspired bowl is
Servings: 4 bowls
Ingredients
For the lamb meatballs:
- 1 lb ground lamb you can substitute ground chicken of beef if you prefer!
- ¼ cup plain hummus
- ¼ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dried Greek oregano use ¼ cup if fresh!
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp fresh dill use 1 teaspoon if using dried dill
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
For the Basmati rice:
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 ¾ cups water
For the feta yogurt:
- 8 oz feta cheese
- ⅓ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh dill 1 tbsp if using dried dill
- the juice from half of a small lemon about 2 tbsps
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the zesty Greek pesto:
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano 2 tablespoons if using fresh
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 3 tbsp fresh dill
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the Basmati rice:
- Thoroughly rinse the rice in a sieve or colander until the water washes through almost clear. Add to a medium sized bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Let sit for 30 minutes. While the rice is soaking, make the meatballs.
- After 30 minutes drain the rice. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add rice and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is over, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 additional minutes.
For the lamb meatballs:
- In a medium sized bowl combine hummus, Greek yogurt, and all of the spices. Mix to combine. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Add lamb and mix to incorporate until everything is evenly combined.
- Using ¼ cup measure out meatballs (should make about 10) and roll into balls. I like to add a little olive oil on my hands and then roll them out, makes it less messy!
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add meatballs, not touching, and cook for 5-6 minutes, rotating every 2 minutes to make sure all sides are cooked. I like to get a good crust on the meatballs to add texture. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, remove from heat.
For the feta yogurt:
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium sized food processor. Blend until smooth. Scoop out the yogurt into a bowl and add to the refrigerator until assembly. Rinse out the food processor as you will need it again for the pesto!
For the zesty Greek pesto:
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium sized food processor and pulse until it all comes together, abuot 1 minute. Remove and add to the refridgerator until assembly.
For assembly:
- Scoop Basmati rice into half of a bowl, and on the other half smear the feta yogurt. Top with meatballs, the pesto and garnish with extra feta and herbs. Enjoy!