Description
Juicy meatballs are paired with a vibrant orange almond couscous. A zesty lime yogurt adds the perfect finishing touch.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) ground turkey or chicken
- 1 medium red or white onion, grated
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1-2 tiny green or red Thai peppers, minced (optional)
- A generous handful chopped fresh mint or basil
- 2 limes, zest one of them and reserve the zest
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2/3 cups (156 ml) plain bread crumbs
- 1/3 cups (79 ml) pine nuts (optional but good)
- Drizzle of honey
- Olive oil for cooking
- Sea salt
- Lime wedges and lime-whipped yogurt or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 box cooked Original Plain Near East Couscous
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) slivered almonds, toasted
- 2 oranges, zest one and reserve the zest. Cut one orange into segments and chop the segments into small pieces.
- 3 chopped scallions
- A handful of both fresh parsley and dill, chopped
Instructions
- Grate the onion into a large bowl using the small holes of a box grater.
- Add ground turkey or chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, Thai peppers (if using), fresh mint, pine nuts (if using), a drizzle of honey, dried oregano, and salt to taste.
- Mix to combine all ingredients.
- Wet your hands with cold water and form the mixture into small balls the size of large marbles or walnuts.
- Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat (approximately 375°F/190°C) with some olive oil.
- Drop the meatballs into the pan and sauté until golden brown on all sides and cooked through; do not overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches if necessary.
- Be careful not to burn them; the honey will help caramelize the outside.
- Cover the pan occasionally to cook, but keep a close eye on them and remove the cover when almost done. They cook quickly; try not to overcook or they will become dry.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan as they are done cooking.
- Serve with lime wedges and lime-whipped yogurt.
- To make the lime-whipped yogurt: Mix 2 cups of thick Greek yogurt with lime zest and a pinch of salt.
- Toast almonds in a small fry pan until golden brown; be careful not to burn them.
- Add cooked couscous, toasted almonds, orange zest, orange segments, scallions, parsley, and dill to a bowl.
- Add the juice of one orange, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt to taste.
- Stir and fluff with a fork to combine.
Notes
- For extra flavor, marinate the meatballs for 30 minutes before cooking.
- To prevent sticking, ensure your pan is adequately hot before adding the meatballs.
- Leftover couscous and meatballs can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 150