Lamb and Prune Meatballs with rice

Gluten Free – Dairy Free

*Lamb and Prune Meatballs, yummy but before we begin if you are new to my blog and love recipes then I upload three times a week on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 am (GMT). So don’t forget to like this blog and follow me on here for loads more FREE recipes.

Prunes are great to snack on and I always think of them as a sweet treat. So to put them in my dinner was a little weird to comprehend. However, I’m so pleased I did as we all loved eating this dish. The prunes added extra texture to the meatballs and took the fatness of the lamb away. Howard is not a fan of lamb because of the fatty flavour, however he really liked these meatballs.

As well as the prunes adding extra flavour to the dinner, they also add more nutrients too. Prunes are a great source of energy and they do not cause a spike in blood sugar levels either. The reputation for a laxative is very unfortunate because it overshadows the fact that they are a rich source of nutrition. Now I have discovered that they are delicious in a savoury dish, I will be adding them to lots more dinners.

Serves 4

Equipment needed

• Sharp Knife
• Chopping board
• Mixing bowl
• Baking tray
• Spatula
• Frying pan
• Plastic brush
• Stirring spoon
• Tin opener
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon

Ingredients for the meatballs

• Mince lamb x 500g
• Egg x 1
• Prunes x 100g
• Ground cumin x 1 tsp
• Ground coriander x 1 tsp
• Ground cinnamon x 1 tsp
• Dried oregano x 1 tsp
• Coriander x 1 large handful
• Brown rice flour x 2 heaped tbsps
• Tomato puree or Tommy K x 1 tbsp
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the sauce

• Onion x 1
• Garlic x 2 cloves
• Tomatoes x 2 400g tins
• Dried mixed herbs x 1 tsp
• Green beans x 4 large handfuls or spinach
• Oil for the pan
• Salt and pepper

Method for the meatballs

• Preheat the oven to 180° and put baking tray in
• Start by chopping the prunes into small pieces.
• Put them into the large mixing bowl along with the lamb, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix these ingredients together with the spatula or alternatively with your hands.
• Now add in the egg and tomato puree/tommy k and mix again.
• The mixture will become wet so add in the brown rice flour and again mix.
• Next split the mixture into four even parts and split each part into four balls.
  • You may need to dust your hands with brown rice flour to stop the balls from sticking.
• Remove the baking tray from the oven and put the meatballs in.
• Put the tray back into the oven and cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until gold brown.

Method for the sauce

• Start by chopping the onion and garlic.
• Heat the frying pan on a high heat and add the oil.
• Spread the oil across the base of the pan using the plastic brush.
• Once the pan is hot add the onion and garlic.
• Fry until the onion is translucent.
• It should take around 5 minutes.
• Pour in the tomatoes and bring to the boil.
• Add in the dried mixed herbs and stir again.
• Turn down the heat and leave to simmer while the meatballs cook in the oven.
  • Cook a little rice or quinoa, whatever you fancy.
• Once the meatballs are cooked remove from the oven and add to the sauce.
• Then serve the rice and sauce with the meatballs and enjoy.

Lamb and Prune Meatballs and Tomato Sauce was well received in our house. Both my husband and son really enjoyed eating this dinner. It was so interesting to try these ingredients together and an experiment I’m pleased to say went well. All the ingredients in the meatballs are freezable so could be made at the weekend and then cooked during the week. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, enjoy! xxx

Have you used prune in your meals and if so which ones? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to subscribe. And thanks for getting to the bottom of this blog.