Orzo Salad ‘Lambs’ It Up!

To make this dish gluten free, use gluten-free bread crumbs in the meatballs and swap in quinoa for the orzo.

Herbed Lamb Meatballs with Orzo Salad

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 Tbs. fresh mint leaves
1 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. ground pepper
1 pound ground lamb
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
8 ounces orzo pasta
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 small cucumber, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

FOR THE LEMON-PARSLEY YOGURT SAUCE:

½ cup whole-milk yogurt
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. snipped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together all Lemon-Parsley Yogurt Sauce ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate. Makes ⅔ cup.

1. Preheat oven to 375°, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with cooking spray.
2. Put garlic, parsley leaves, mint, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper into a food processor. Pulse to grind well. Add lamb, bread crumbs and egg, and pulse until well-combined, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Portion into 2-tablespoon-size balls, and set onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18–20 minutes until cooked through (about 165° internal temperature).
3. Meanwhile, prepare orzo according to package directions. Drain, and let cool slightly. Toss with tomatoes, cucumber, ¼ cup chopped parsley and olive oil. Serve topped with feta, meatballs and yogurt sauce.

PER SERVING: 501 cal, 26g fat (12g mono, 2g poly, 12g sat), 99mg chol, 447mg sodium, 40 carb (8g fiber, 4g sugars), 23g protein

SOURCE: The recipe and photo by Amy Palanjian is posted by permission of Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.