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02/28/2018 11:01 PMIt doesn’t happen often, but there are times that I crave something I can’t make at home.
I’m usually indifferent to chocolate, but, a few weeks ago, I craved some chocolate. It had to be a carb. I needed a donut. So I drove to my nearest Dunkin’ Donuts and ordered a glazed chocolate.
I thought that might do the trick. It didn’t. I went home and pawed through my freezer, unearthing an old carton of Halo Top chocolate ice cream. An entire pint has fewer than 400 calories. I ate about a quarter of a pint. That did the trick.
With my chocolate fix cured, I found myself in the mood for something unusual. I wanted to make something I have never made before, a recipe with ingredients I rarely use, but something I could make at home. I searched the March issue of Food Network Magazine. I found an unusual recipe. I made it. It is delicious and promised to be even better as a leftover the next day. I didn’t have pomegranate seeds (also called arils and usually available in good supermarkets), so I added two finely chopped maraschino cherries. Better you don’t do that, but the recipe is delicious.
Lamb Meatballs with Eggplant Mash
Adapted from Food Network Magazine, March, 2018, page 58
Yield: Serves 4 (just 560 calories per serving!)
4 small eggplants (about 2 ¼ pounds)
1 ¼ cups mixed fresh herbs
(cilantro, parsley, mint, rosemary)
1 pound ground lamb
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons juice, plus
lemon wedges for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
Preheat broiler. Place eggplants in a foil-lined baking sheet and broil, turning twice, until blackened and tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, chop half of the herbs. Mix with lamb, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, egg, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Shape mixture into 12 large meatballs and place on a plate.
Peel off eggplant skin and discard. Transfer flesh to a colander and let drain 5 minutes, then transfer to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Scrape into a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and the yogurt; season with salt and pepper.
Line the baking sheet with a clean sheet of foil. Arrange the meatballs on the pan and broil until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Toss pomegranate seeds, remaining 1 cup of herbs, and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the lemon juice in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the eggplant mash into shallow bowls and top with meatballs and pomegranate mixture. Serve with lemon wedges.