Healthy Spiced Lamb Bowl

By Dana Sims @stone_and_twine on April 13, 2021 in Food

Let’s get freekeh! Photo: Dana Sims @Stone_and_twine

This recipe ticks all the boxes for a protein-packed, flavoursome, healthy bowl – a perfectly deconstructed salad for lunch or a simple dinner for 2-3 people.
Meatballs are a great way to incorporate spice and aromatics, and they don’t take long to cook. Accompanying the lamb is textured freekeh, fresh salad and vegetables, nuts, feta and the obligatory – but always delicious – fragrant yoghurt sauce that gives a nod to Middle Eastern cooking.

Ingredients
Lamb meatballs
500gm lamb mince
½ brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground fennel seeds
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp sea salt
1 tbs olive oil for frying

Yoghurt sauce
¾ cup Greek yoghurt
1 tbs honey
¼ cup coriander, chopped
2 tbs lemon juice

Freekeh
¾ cup wholemeal freekeh
¼ cup currants
¼ cup shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
½ cup spring onion, finely sliced

Dressing
1 tbs olive oil
Juice of ¼ lemon
½ tsp salt

The Rest
2 zucchini, cut or peeled vertically into thin slices and coated in olive oil
1 cup spinach leaves
20 gm each of mint & coriander, roughly chopped and combined
100gm Greek feta, broken into chunks
1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving

Method
1. To cook the freekeh, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. On medium heat, cook the freekeh for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Once cooled, add in the currants, parsley, spring onion and pistachios. Pour over the dressing and stir to combine.
2. Add all ingredients for the lamb meatballs in a large bowl and combine well. Using a heaped tablespoon of mixture for each one, use your hands to roll into balls (12-14).
3. To cook the meatballs, heat a frypan on medium. Add the olive oil and fry each meatball for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
4. Using a griddle pan on high heat, cook the zucchini on each side for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the yoghurt sauce.
5. To assemble, add the freekeh to one side of your serving bowl, then place the lamb meatballs next to it. Add the remaining ingredients next to each other – zucchini, spinach, herbs and feta. Generously squeeze lemon over the bowl. Serve the yoghurt sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Dana Sims is a Sydney-based food and prop stylist who has grown up in the Eastern Suburbs and loves to create delicious food for entertaining and family. She is inspired by the fresh produce we have access to here in Sydney. For ideas, recipes and styling inspiration, check out her Instagram, @stone_and_twine.