Moroccan Feta Meatballs with Ras El Hanout and Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground lamb
- ½ pound ground beef
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup crumbled standard firm-style feta
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for zucchini
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 medium zucchini
- ½ cup beef broth or water
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine lamb, beef, bread crumbs, feta, parsley, garlic powder, ras el hanout, turmeric, and salt, mixing until well combined. Add egg, and stir until blended.
- Form lamb mixture into 24 meatballs, each about the size of a walnut.
- In a large skillet, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook meatballs in batches, gently turning them at intervals to brown all sides and cook through— about 20 minutes for each batch.
- Meanwhile, shave zucchini into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Lightly toss zucchini with salt and place in a colander to stand for at least 15 minutes.
- When meatballs are cooked, remove from skillet and keep warm. Stir beef broth into skillet, loosening browned bits from bottom. Add garlic to broth, and heat to simmer; cook until broth is reduced by half.
- Whisk lemon zest and remaining 1½ tablespoons oil into reduced broth. Add zucchini ribbons, and cook, gently tossing in pan juices, until slightly softened (but not limp), 6 to 8 minutes. To serve, arrange zucchini ribbons on each plate and top with meatballs.
Elaine Khosrova
Elaine Khorova is the original Editor-in-Chief of culture magazine and the current recipe writer extraordinaire. She resides in the Hudson Valley of New York where she is working on a book about the history of butter.
Photographer Mark Ferri
Mark Ferri is a graduate of Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif. He believes in a simple, direct approach that captures the natural beauty and appetite appeal of food. Mark celebrates a life-long passion for food by frequently exploring new restaurants in New York and in Europe, and loves to cook and entertain at his home in the Hudson Valley. Learn more about Mark on his website: http://www.markferriphoto.com/
Stylist Leslie Orlandini
Leslie Orlandini is a chef and an accomplished food stylist in print and television. She has been nominated for both James Beard and Emmy awards and is a veteran of thousands of cooking shows and segments. You can learn more about her through her website: http://leslieorlandini.com/
