recipe: lamb meatballs with cucumber yogurt sauce

to make the cucumber yogurt sauce:
1/3 C cucumber, peeled and diced
3/4 C Greek yogurt
2 tblsp mint, minced
2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
2 tblsp sour cream
2 tblsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
salt and pepper

1. Place all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine, season with salt and pepper.

2. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.

to make the lamb meatballs:
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 tblsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp mint, minced
2 tblsp Italian parsley, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
pinch of clili flake
1/2 tsp lemon zest
splash olive oil
sliced cucumber, mint and pomegranate seeds are all optional, tasty garnishes
Makes about 18

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over med-high heat. Sauté onions and jalapeno until tender, about 3-5 minutes and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix by hand until combined, then roll into balls about 1” in diameter. Cover meatballs and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight

3. Pre-heat oven to 350°F and remove meatballs from the fridge.

4.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat and brown meatballs in batches—be sure to brown them on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per batch.

5. Once browned, place on a baking sheet roast until fully cooked—about 10-15 minutes.

6. Serve warm on sliced cucumber garnished with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, sprigs of mint and with the yogurt sauce as a side dip.

Adam’s hints:
These meatballs are awesome served as a sandwich—in a pita with crispy romaine lettuce red onions and cucumber yogurt sauce—and they can easily be prepped the night before.