Closet Cooking

Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

Never miss a recipe! Subscribe to the email Newsletter!

Lamb and Mint Meatballs with Farro Risotto and Cilantro Pesto

[heart_this] · · 25 Comments

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.
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.
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.

Lamb and Mint Meatballs

Lamb and Mint Meatballs

Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:10 minutes Total Time:20 minutes Servings: 4
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.
Farro Risotto

Farro Risotto

Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:30 minutes Total Time:40 minutes Servings: 4
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.
Cilantro Pesto

Cilantro Pesto

Prep Time:10 minutesTotal Time:10 minutes Servings: 1cup
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.
Use in:
Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini with Cilantro Pesto and Feta

Similar Recipes:
Greek Style Lamb Burgers
Lamb Souvlaki
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) in a Pita with Tzatziki Sauce
Pea and Barley Risotto
Lamb Meatballs in Minted Tomato Sauce
Swedish Meatballs
Meatball Parmesan
eCookbook Bundle Cover

Get ALL 12 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 70% off! Enjoy some of the tastiest recipes from Closet Cooking along with exclusive cookbook recipes!

Get the Cookbook Bundle Now!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Dream It Up Cookies says

    April 15, 2010 at 2:10 am

    These look phenomenal! The middle-eastern flavors are right up my alley. In middle eastern seven spice that I use often, cinnamon is a big component, and gives everything such a nice warmth.

    Reply

  8. MeetaK says

    April 15, 2010 at 7:25 am

    Kevin glad you liked this – yeah the cinnamon takes it to a new level. love the fact that the flavors intrigued you. Always get excited to see how my recipes are taken.

    Reply

  11. Joanne says

    April 15, 2010 at 10:12 am

    I saw this on Meeta's site and absolutely fell in love. I'm a cinnamon and meat person too…love it wherever I see it. Cilantro pesto – awesome.

    Reply

  14. Lauren says

    April 15, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    This is a gorgeous meal! All of the components are lovely on their own, but when combined together, I'm sure they make one fantastic dish.

    I'm especially excited to try the farro risotto!

    Reply

  16. Carrie says

    April 15, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    Lamb is one of my favorite ingredients that I really need to start cooking with more. I love the idea of these meatballs. The herb/spice combination sounds really interesting!

    Reply

  23. Julie says

    April 21, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Mmmm. I love everything about this recipe. I haven't make anything with lamb in so long. I just did a whole grain barley risotto and farro is next on the list.

    Reply

  24. Anonymous says

    November 6, 2012 at 5:22 am

    This does "look good". I appreciate all the comments; however, has anyone actually made it or is everyone suffering with premature anticipation? I think it would be more productive to hear from those AFTER they made it.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Left Menu Icon