Lamb and Mint Meatballs with Farro Risotto and Cilantro Pesto

With spring here, I have been thinking about lamb more and when I came across the recipe for mint lamb meatballs with spelt risotto and cilantro pesto on What's for Lunch Honey I just had to get it onto my meal plan right away. Lamb is a meat with a strong flavour which means that it goes well with herbs with strong flavours including mint and cilantro and this dish includes both! The mint is mixed right into the meatballs and there is a cilantro pesto on the side. Something that caught my eye about this recipe was the use of the cinnamon in the meatballs. I first came across the idea of using cinnamon in savoury meat dishes a while ago and I have been intrigued ever since and I am always on the lookout for new dishes that use the combo. These meatballs were really easy to make, though I do need some practice in the cooking meatballs in such a way that they retain their shape. The mint lamb meatballs were really nice! The mint and lamb flavour combo was wonderful and the cinnamon took it over the edge. When combined with the creamy risotto and the fresh cilantro pesto this was quite the meal and it really shouted spring.

Lamb and Mint Meatballs

(makes 4 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound ground lamb

2 handfuls mint (chopped)

1/4 cup red onion (diced)

1 egg

1/4 cup whole wheat breads crumbs (freshly made)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon coriander (toasted and ground)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix the lamb, mint, onion, egg, bread crumbs, cinnamon, coriander, salt and pepper.

2. Form the mixture into balls.

3. Heat the oil in a pan.

4. Add the balls a few at a time, without crowding the pan, and brown on all sides until the middle is cooked, about 10 minutes.

It is pretty hard to go wrong serving these meatballs with a creamy and cheesy risotto and if you make it a bit healthier by using a whole grain then it is all the better. I have made risottos barley before and I liked the sound of a spelt version, unfortunately I could not find the spelt but I did have some farro on hand. This is a pretty basic risotto with the only difference being precooking the farro a bit before using it to make the risotto as farro takes longer to cook than rice. The farro risotto came out nice and creamy and it was so good! I really liked the 'al dente' kind of bite or chew the farro had and I will definitely be making it again.

Farro Risotto

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup farro

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano

Directions:

1. Cover the farro in a lot of water in a pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil and melt the better in a pan.

3. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

5. Add the farro and wine and stir until the liquid has been absorbed.

6. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock at a time stirring until the liquid has been absorbed.

7. Mix in the butter and cheese.

If the mint in the lamb meatballs was not enough fresh herbs for you then how about some cilantro pesto? Cilantro pesto is pretty easy to make and it goes great with a lot of things including pastas, soups, sandwiches and of could these lamb meatballs. I liked the Asian twist on this particular cilantro pesto with the ginger and red chili pepper adding a nice hint of the exotic and a touch of heat. Continuing with the Asian theme I swapped the cashews out for some toasted and ground sesame seeds.

Cilantro Pesto

(makes 1 cup)

Ingredients:

1 cup cilantro

2 teaspoons ginger (grated)

3 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted and ground)

1 red chili

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 splash lemon juice

Directions:

1. Puree everything in a food processor.

Also use in:

Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini with Cilantro Pesto and Feta



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Pea and Barley Risotto

Lamb Meatballs in Minted Tomato Sauce