Lightly Spiced Lamb Meatballs With Muhammara, Feta And Herby Couscous

I know when you think of easy, low effort meals, meatballs might not be the first thing to spring to mind. But trust me, these couldn’t be easier, and it’s only a little bit of mixing and rolling that’s required to make the meatballs. Not nearly as much faff as you may think. So roll up your sleeves, wash your hands and give this one a go!

This is an unbelievable combination of flavours, which works so well and it’s all ready in less than 20 minutes. You may be haunted by meatballs of the past, possibly from school canteens where they can be horrid and dry, but I assure you these lamb meatballs are going to be nothing like that. Succulent, juicy and packed full of flavour. They also freeze beautifully, so if you want to make a big batch, simply double the recipe, shape and roll, bung them in the freezer ready to fry off when you are next in need. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you have delicious things lying in wait for you in the freezer.

I also think it’s the name “meatball” that isn’t the most appealing is it? But put any worries aside, these are so good. I use spices you likely already have in your cupboard, lean ground lamb, and lots of lemon . These are quick and easy to throw together and if you’re turned off by the idea of using lamb, which I think some people are but it has so much more flavour! That said, any ground meat can be used in place of the lamb, but I recommend meat that has a little fat on it because it’s the fat that has the flavour. If you try to make something like meatballs with lean 5% beef mince, you’re just never going to get great results.

Couscous has to be one of the hardest working items in my kitchen cupboard. Masquerading as a grain, it’s technically a pasta but the fact that it cooks so quickly and is so easy to prepare makes it a really useful ingredient. It’s uniquely fluffy, versatile and delicious. I love it, tossed with lots of herbs, a squeeze of lemon, a little butter or olive oil. When you want supper on the table in double quick time, couscous is your friend.