Greek lamb meatballs with roasted vegetables - a real crowd pleaser.

I don't mind admitting, I was a bit dubious about this recipe.

It certainly looked appetising and interesting - and I figured I could tweak it around to our likes and dislikes whilst still being able to feed everyone sufficiently.  However, I had a slight reservation over the lamb mince we had roosting in the freezer.  It wasn't from our local butcher, it was an old purchase from the supermarket - before we ventured into lamb mince from the butcher.  However, it needed using up.

As it was, although the meatballs were a teensy bit paste-like on the inside, the flavours were lovely and I reckon the mince did an okay job.  Of course, the next time I do it with butcher's mince, it'll be lovely and chunky which will make for a much firmer meatball.  Delicious!  Considering the meatballs were really only mince, breadcrumbs, grated onion & mint with egg to bind them, they had an amazing flavour.  This was one of those "less is more" lessons in not cluttering up a recipe!

Where the vegetables were concerned, included in the recipe were courgette (which is fine, although son doesn't like them), cherry tomatoes (again fine, although son doesn't eat those either) and potatoes cut into wedges (which of course hubby hates, but son likes).  So, to give son something to eat, I added sweet potato cut into wedges (which pleased both son & hubby) and butternut squash cubes (again, pleased son & hubby).  Me?  I'll eat the lot!

The end result was a lovely melange of flavours - particularly with the feta crumbled over the top.  Son & heir opted out of the feta cheese, but as he had both potato and sweet potato wedges, plus butternut squash (and the ubiquitous tomato ketchup), I figured he'd be fine.

I served a Tzatziki/Raita yoghurt/cucumber/mint combo alongside, which went very nicely with the meatballs and which took on the job of a sauce, on the occasions when something a bit more moist was required.

I particularly enjoyed the mint flavour through the lamb meatballs, together with the combination of feta with courgette and the tomatoes.  Yummy.  The assembled throng declared this to very definitely be a 10 out of 10 dish, which they'd happily have again.  So that's alright then!

GREEK LAMB TRAY BAKE  (feeds 3)

Ingredients :

50g fresh white breadcrumbs

400g lamb mince

1 egg, beaten

2 onions, halved

large handful of mint, chopped

2 medium potatoes, cut into wedges

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

half a tsp dried oregano

a flat tsp of paprika

2 courgettes, cut into batons

200g butternut squash, peeled and cut into large dice

12 cherry tomatoes, pierced

2 tbsp olive oil

50g feta cheese, crumbled

Method :

1.  Pre-heat oven to 200deg C/180deg fan/gas 6.

2.  Put the breadcrumbs, lamb mince, egg and seasoning into a bowl.  Grate in half of one onion and sprinkle in half the chopped mint.

3.  Give everything a good mix, then shape into meatballs – should make around 12-15.

4.  Place the meatballs into the fridge to cool and firm.

5.  Place both types of wedges into a bowl and add the oregano, paprika, seasoning and a tbsp of oil.  Mix to ensure everything is well coated.

6.  Decant onto a large flat roasting tray and place into the oven for 35-45 minutes, turning once.

7.  Place the meatballs onto another large flat roasting tray and add the courgettes, squash and tomatoes.  Season well and drizzle with olive oil.

8.  Add to the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned and cooked through.

9.  Remove from the oven when done and sprinkle with the feta cheese and remaining mint.  Serve.

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Greek Lamb & Orzo Bake - what a triumph!

I just couldn't wait to tell you all about tonight's dinner.  It was such a success!

It was one of those dishes that starts smelling wonderful and continues to get better and better the more of its ingredients you add.  Just so with this Bake.

Now I'd seen Orzo in various recipes on t'internet and got curious about what it was.  So that led me to discovering that it was a particular type of pasta-like carbohydrate, shaped like tiny grains of rice.  Curious!  As is my wont, I'd "tucked it behind my ear for later" and kept an eye out for it in the shops, along with dozens of other things.  It just so happened that while I was browsing the World Foods aisle in our local supermarket, amongst all the other noodles and tiny pastas, there it was - Orzo!  Now I knew where I could get it, all I had to do was find a recipe that looked delicious enough to warrant its use.

So along came "Greek Lamb & Orzo Bake".  I found the recipe in a general type of cookbook that I borrowed from the Library.  I had taken two or three recipes from it, but on the whole it was a book that I wouldn't bother taking out again.  However, I am so glad I found it in the first place, or I would never have discovered how well this collection of ingredients could shape up!

I was amused, when cooking the Orzo, to discover how slippery they can be!  The first time I tasted some (to work out whether they were soft enough to be included in the casserole) I took four or five of them into my mouth and bit down - only to have two of the little devils shoot out from between my lips and disappear into the farthest reaches of the kitchen!  They're like tiny torpedoes.

The mince mixture, as you combine each ingredient, tastes rather gorgeous right up until you include the chopped mint - whereupon it is just lifted somewhere up into the stratosphere.  Now we all know that mint and lamb are a match made in heaven - but my goodness, doesn't this recipe just demonstrate this!

Son was, initially, a teeny bit challenged by the Aubergine pieces.  Right up until I told him that they were just sponges full of the tasty gravy.  That encouraged him to stop picking them out and eat them instead.  Hubby loved the whole thing and, like me, wondered about including a little Feta cheese in the yoghurt/egg mixture.  Son was appalled by that idea, saying it would render the mix too sour.  He may have a point there - but I think it's rather worth trying!

 Edited to say that I included the Greek Lamb & Orzo dish on the menu list again, in April 2011.


This time, I used two eggs in the yoghurt/egg mixture which covered rather better - and I left it in the oven to brown a little more.


You'll see how lovely it looked when it came out of the oven from the picture here.


I can confirm that it was no less tasty, with lots of "mmmnn's" and much eye-rolling of appreciation as the first forkfulls went in.
 

As you can see, this time I served it with  baby corn and sugar snap peas, which were lovely.

It may look as though it has the possibility of being a little dry, but in fact the tomato sauce is just hiding under there.  We didn't require anything more than a little butter on the vegetables, to make a perfect meal.

GREEK LAMB & ORZO BAKE (serves 5)

Ingredients :

500g lean minced lamb

1 onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 aubergine, cut into 1cm chunks

200ml lamb or vegetable stock

400g tin chopped tomatoes

15g fresh mint, chopped

300g orzo

300g natural low-fat yoghurt

1 large egg

salt & pepper

half a tsp sugar

Method :

Brown the lamb in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and remove the fat once it has rendered.

Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft.  Then add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Then add the aubergine pieces and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the aubergine is tender.

Stir in the stock, tomatoes and the mint.  Season -including a little sugar if the tomatoes need it - and bring to the boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the lamb is tender.

Preheat the oven to 180deg C/gas 4.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to manufacturers’ instructions, until al dente.  Drain.

Beat together the yoghurt and egg in a small bowl.

Stir the drained pasta into the lamb mixture, then spoon into a large lasagne dish.  Spoon the yoghurt mixture over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes until piping hot.

Serve with green beans & baby corn, or for summer dining, a green bean salad with a fresh lemony dressing.