Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Meatballs with Lemon Garlic Yogurt and Parsley-Mint Pesto

Happy cherry blossom season, y’all! ‘Tis the season of pink(ish) petals, throngs of tourists, and soaking up every single second of tolerable spring weather before the intense humidity and heat of a D.C. summer hits.

As part of that aforementioned zeal for all things outdoors, I decided this weekend was the perfect moment for dinner al fresco, before the mosquitos come to eat us all alive.

These meatballs have a Middle Eastern-ish profile, and pack a serious flavor punch. They come together and cook up quickly, bless their lil’ meatball hearts, so they’re perfect for when you want to wow with flavor without spending your whole day in the kitchen. If you make the pesto and the yogurt while the meatballs are baking, you can put this whole meal together in 20 minutes! I used mint and parsley to make the pesto, but really any combo of spring-y herbs will work– as long as it’s green and fresh-tasting, it’ll do just fine. Any leftover yogurt and pesto can be used to add some zip to all manner of dishes, so let your imagination (and also maybe your tastebuds) go wild!

Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Meatballs with Lemon Garlic Yogurt and Parsley-Mint Pesto

Makes ~20 meatballs

• 1 lb. ground Lamb
• 1/2 Shallot, minced
• 7 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 T. fresh Mint, chopped
• 1 T. fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 2 T. fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 T. Fennel
• 1 T. Cumin
• 1 T. Chile Powder
• 1 T. Smoked Paprika
• 1 T. dried Oregano
• 1/3 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 c. Pomegranate Molasses*

Preheat oven to 425. With your hands, blend together all but the last ingredient until thoroughly combined (but do not overmix). Roll into golf ball-sized meatballs and place in a nonstick muffin tin or on a lightly oil sheet tray. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cooked through (the center should register 160 degrees on a thermometer). Allow to cool slightly, then transfer meatballs to a bowl, drizzle with pomegranate molasses, and gently stir until meatballs are covered. Serve atop lemon garlic yogurt with a drizzle of pesto (see below).

*Note: You can find pomegranate molasses in the international aisle of many grocery stores, or online. In a pinch, reduced balsamic vinegar could be an okay substitute, but it won’t be quite the same and these meatballs are honestly delicious without any glaze, so you can’t go wrong even if you totally skip this step.

Lemon Garlic Yogurt

• 1 c. Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 Lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 clove Garlic, grated
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 T. Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. The longer the mixture sits, the more the flavors will meld and strengthen. (So, uh, consider that before you take this garlicky business to work for lunch after it’s had a few days in the fridge to hit full “dragon breath” status.)

Parsley-Mint Pesto

• 2 large handfuls Parsley, leaves and some stems
• 1 large handful Mint
• 1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic
• Pinch of Salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.

It’s important to me that you know that after I took this photo, I drizzled a LOT more pesto on these bad boys for the actual eating part of the process. Less photogenic, maybe, but they were still beautiful to me!