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Lamb Meatballs + Roasted Eggplant Matbucha

June 4, 2015 • 4 Comments

Eighty percent of the time my husband and I go out to eat, we want Mediterranean food.

Lamb Meatballs + Roasted Eggplant Matbucha | MakingLifeSweet.com

But then I start to look at menus, and as much as I love supporting local restaurants, I just can’t argue the fact that it’s cheaper for me to make some Mediterranean cuisines at home. Take lamb for example. At a restaurant you’ll pay anywhere between 25-40 depending on where you go. No doubt that lamb will be good and probably worth every penny, but the cost saving ninja inside of me still alerts me that I can make lamb dishes for a fraction of that price in my own kitchen.

I’ve been having odd cravings for meatballs lately, and after learning about matbucha from a friend the other day I felt confident that I could incorporate lamb meatballs into it without comprising the Mediterranean authenticity of the dish.

Typically matbucha is cooked over the stove, but this weekend was a “dirty as few dishes as possible” weekend at our house. (Aka I was just feeling a little lazy.) So I decided to alter the traditional recipes a little bit in order to roast the whole dish in the oven in one swoop.

The result was a delightfully tender and flavorful dish. And the meatballs? Let’s just say my craving was more than satisfied.

Lamb Meatballs + Roasted Eggplant Matbucha | MakingLifeSweet.com

Lamb Meatballs + Roasted Eggplant Matbucha
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 55 mins
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • [b]For the matbucha:[/b]
  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can fired roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • [br][b]For the lamb meatballs:[/b]
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. [b]For the matbucha:[/b] Heat the oven to 425˚ F. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined, then transfer to a large casserole baking dish. Roast for 30-40 minutes until eggplant and peppers are soft. Remove from oven and turn oven temp down to 375.
  2. For the meatballs: Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix with your hands until combine. Form into balls (about the size of a tablespoon) and place on a baking sheet. While the matbucha is cooling, bake until the meat is no longer pink in the middle, about 15 minutes.
3.3.3070

 

 

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Comments

  1. GiGi Eats says

    February 6, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Mouth is OPEN over here out of shock as to how delicious this looks, but also… Because I would like 10 bites! ha ha!

    Reply
    • Lauren Gaskill says

      February 8, 2016 at 9:56 am

      Awww thanks so much GiGi!!

      Reply
  2. Raia says

    February 10, 2016 at 10:10 pm

    Mmm… That looks delicious – and I’m not even an eggplant fan. 😉 Thank you for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays!

    Reply
    • Lauren Gaskill says

      February 11, 2016 at 9:56 am

      Thanks Raia! I made this for a dinner party and one of the guests said she doesn’t usually like eggplants but loved them in this dish. Might be worth a try!

      Reply

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