A lot of yous live in a household heading back to school and so you’re playing that “what do I even pack for lunch?” game. I’ve got you with these merguez lamb meatballs, which you make make into the most awesome wrap which I’ve detailed below. Let’s get after it.
If I’m being honest in my own house, lunch is kind of my toss away meal. I have a hearty breakfast and a substantial dinner, but lunch tends to be on the lighter side, with me either settling for a protein shake – plus, or scrounging the fridge for something not too heavy that I can shove in my face to stave off hunger. It’s not because I don’t love lunch- quite the contrary- I’d rather have a nice, satisfying, leisurely lunch than the same for dinner, but the reality in how I’ve build my work-from-home day and plugged my workouts into it just means that I never want to eat too much before or after I hit the gym.
That’s a long way of me saying do what I say, not what I do.
However, I do have a high appreciation for a well-packed school or work lunch. I grew up in a household where my MOM – yes, my mom – won an award from the teachers when I think I was in either kindergarten or first grade for sending me and brother to school with the best lunches. If you know my mom, this wouldn’t surprise you at all. It did, however, set the bar very high.
I’m giving you this meatball recipe from My Paris Kitchen. It was one of those days on the couch where I pulled inspiration from the cookbooks on the shelf and David Lebovitz won the day on this one. I’m also outlining below the most delicious sandwich I put together for your own inspiration. It was delicious and now I’ve found myself with my own high bar to meet.
What do I need to make merguez lamb meatballs?
- ground lamb, though you can use ground beef if you like
- garlic
- cilantro
- all the spices– coriander, cumin, sweet paprika, fennel, Sriracha, salt, cinnamon, and allspice
What do I need to make your lamb meatball sandwich?
- grilled paratha or your other favourite flatbread
- smashed chickpeas (as you saw in this badass breakfast sammy)
- fresh arugula
- roasted cherry tomatoes
- crumbled feta
- sriracha mayo
The meatballs are fab on their own, but put them in a sandwich or on a salad and lunch will never be the same.
Merguez Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 LB ground lamb or beef
- 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 TB minced fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp Sriracha sauce (or harissa paste)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a dry skillet, toast the seeds: fennel, coriander, cumin about a minute until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool and then grind into a powder.
- To a medium bowl, add the lamb, toasted spices, remaining spices, garlic and cilantro. Mix well until all the flavours are combined throughout the meat. Do not overmix.
- Scoop into meatballs, about 2 TB large (I used a small cookie scoop) and place evenly spaced on a foil-lined cookie sheet (with an edge to catch the drippings)
- Bake 15 minutes until cooked through. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.