Baked Greek-Style Meatballs with Risoni
This dish provided me with dinner and lunches for the week. Packed with flavour and sustenance, this meal ticked many boxes.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 500 g lean lamb mince
- 1 cup fresh multigrain breadcrumbs
- 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
- 2 egg whites
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 small fennel bulb halved, thinly sliced, fronds reserved and chopped
- 1 cup risoni
- 3½ cups reduced-salt chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 400 g can no-added-salt chopped tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp no-added-salt tomato paste
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 75 g feta
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. In a bowl, combine the lamb, breadcrumbs, onion, cumin and egg whites. Shape into 16 meatballs. Spray with oil.
- Heat half of the olive oil in a large 2.5L or 10-cup capacity ovenproof dish over medium. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Transfer meatballs to a plate.
- Add remaining oil to dish. Cook carrot and fennel, stirring for 3 minutes, or until soft. Add risoni, stock and garlic, and stir to combine. Add stock mixture, canned tomatoes and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Add meatballs and cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes, or until risoni is tender and liquid has absorbed. Remove from oven, stir through baby spinach and stand for 5 minutes.
- Serve meatballs in sauce, top with feta, lemon zest and chopped reserved fennel fronds.
Notes
From: Lennon, Amanda (Aug 2019) in: Mince Charming Healthy Food Guide