Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Pomegranate-Mint Relish

The holidays are now finally winding down for a few months unless you have a significant other, Valentine’s day is around the corner, men, do not forget.  Speaking of significant others, below is a recipe by Chef Jula Jaksis from Employees Only- her restaurant in NY on Christopher St.  It is for Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Pomegranate-Mint Relish, using the POM Wonderful pomegranates.

lamb_meatballs_914x414_ALT1

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 lb. ground lamb
  • ¼ cup shallots, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons mint, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • ½ cup chicken stock

Yogurt

  • 1 4-oz. container Greek yogurt
  • juice from ½ lemon
  • Pomegranate-Mint Relish
  • 1 cup arils from POM Wonderful Pomegranates
  • (or 1 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils)
  • 2 tablespoons mint, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Meatballs:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the lamb, shallots, garlic, spices and herbs.
  2. Pour the chicken stock over the bread crumbs and add to the lamb mix; combine well.
  3. Portion meatballs into desired size.
  4. In a hot pan with olive oil, sear the meatballs on medium-high heat. (Depending on the size of the meatballs and if you prefer the center to be slightly rare, searing in the pan just until browned will be fine. If you prefer a well-done center, place the meatballs in a 400°F oven for an additional 5–8 minutes.)

Yogurt:

  1. Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice until smooth.
  2. Refrigerate until serving.

Pomegranate-Mint Relish:

  1. Prepare fresh pomegranate arils, if necessary.*
  2. Add the arils, mint, parsley, lemon zest, olive oil and red wine vinegar together; salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

  1. Line the meatballs on a plate and put a dollop of the yogurt on each.
  2. Liberally sprinkle with the Pomegranate-Mint Relish.

*To prepare fresh arils, score 1–2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)

In addition to Pomegranates in whole form there are also new POM POM Fresh Arils which are 4.3 ounces and 100 calories each.  Each one contains quite a few of those delicious little fruit bits pomegranates are known for.

These quick open packs are perfect for lunch boxes for kids and adults as a healthy alternative to fruit snacks or candies as a lunch time treat.

WIN – Best Lunch Box Ever Cookbook

School is here! Ready to make those lunches? No? Well think  again if you are dreading this daily chore to help get the kids off to school. The Cookbook Best Lunch Box Ever , ideas and recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love by Katie Sullivan Morford is a promising cookbook to help get parents and kids excited about school lunches again.

P1120693

Sometimes you just need help , an idea to help put together a lunch. Kids get tired of the same old things, peanut butter and jelly, an apple a salad. Boring! Spice up that lunch box and have the kids help .

With 10 Chapters to go through you have plenty to choose from, the Brown Bag basics which is tips to keep food cool till lunch, portion sizes and more. Planning is important, there’s a section on this and it will help even the most unorganized parent prepare lunch easier. Don’t skip this chapter! Next is the food chapters, your array of sandwiches, including just a few are- Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwich, Chickpea Panini and Turkey Hummus Cuties. You have Salads that are aimed for children, roll ups, wraps, and a whole chapter on how to help turn left overs into an amazing lunch. Not skipping the main bulk is fruits and vegetables, little extras to add in there for the kids and even a section for some healthy treats like Rosie’s Energy Balls and more. I like the additional chapters for after school snacks. Yet another daily thing that parents like myself sometimes come to dread. You just serve the same things over and over, well Katie helps take you through the steps and tips to kick up not only your kids lunch box meal but after-school goodies the kids will adore you for! I made some Shredded BBQ Pork Wraps for the kids from leftovers. Perfect size for the lunch box!
[Read more…]

Eats: Enjoy All the Seconds Cookbook Review

Let’s face it when we cook dinner half the time there are left overs. So what are you to do with them? Certainly not waste the food! We are a family of six, and so my meals are cooked with leftovers in mind actually. I got into the habit of this when my kids started heading to school and pick up times ended up colliding with my lunch. Dinner left overs became my lunch on the go so it has been a habit to cook like this. What if you didn’t intend to have any left overs though? What if you have no clue how to use them up and make it just as grand as the dinner itself? Mary Lamontagne solves this problem in an amazing cookbook I  highly recommend any family pick up.

eats

Eats: Enjoy All the Seconds 135 Colorurful Recipes to Savour and Save by Mary Lamontagne is probably one of the attractive as well as tasteful cookbooks I’ve ever come across. The idea behind her masterpiece is this, what do you do with those leftovers? The cookbook is filled with up to 135 recipes that give you perfect ideas on how to use up that extra food. Waste no more, question no more, just flip the book open to what you have on hand and you are set!
[Read more…]