Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki and Orzo with Feta and Walnuts

Name: Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki and Orzo with Feta and Walnuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean, European, Greek
Ingredients: 2 pinches cinnamon; 1 seedless cucumber; 1 large egg; 3 Tbsps EVOO; 4 servings EVOO, for drizzling; 227 grams Greek feta cheese, crumbled; 4 pocket-less pitas or flat breads, cut into wedges; 237 milliliters finely chopped flat leaf parsley; 59 milliliters fresh dill; 59 milliliters finely chopped fresh mint; 3 cloves garlic, grated or pasted; 355 milliliters Greek yogurt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 680 grams ground lamb or beef; 1 Zest and juice of lemon; 4 servings Kosher salt; 59 milliliters milk, to moisten; 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano; 355 milliliters orzo; 4 servings Freshly ground pepper; 3 Tbsps grated red onion; 118 milliliters chopped walnuts; 2 slices white bread, 1-inch thick

Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki and Orzo with Fetan and Walnuts might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe makes 4 servings with 1288 calories, 58g of protein, and 90g of fat each. This recipe covers 50% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Head to the store and pick up walnuts, kosher salt, garlic, and a few other things to make it today. This recipe is typical of Mediterranean cuisine. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 30 minutes.

Instructions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Place a cooling rack over 2 baking sheets for roasting the meatballs and toasting the pita.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

Pita

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Wire Rack

Soak the bread in the milk. Peel the cucumber and grate into a strainer. Salt it and let it drain for 20 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Cucumber

Bread

Milk

Salt

Equipment you will use

Sieve

Pour the EVOO into a bowl, then add the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze out the bread and crumble between your fingers as you add it to the meat.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Bread

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Meat

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Add the mint, onions, oregano, cinnamon, 2 of the garlic cloves, egg and 1/2 of the lemon juice, and mix to combine.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Garlic Cloves

Lemon Juice

Cinnamon

Oregano

Onion

Mint

Egg

Using a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into about 24 balls and place on the baking sheet. Roast to golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Ice Cream

Meat

Equipment you will use

Ice Cream Scoop

Baking Sheet

Remove the meatballs from the oven and place the broiler on high. Char the pita under the broiler, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

Pita

Equipment you will use

Oven

Press the cucumber in the strainer to get out the excess water and add to a food processor. Then add the yogurt, dill, remaining 1 clove garlic, zest and remaining juice of the lemon. Season the sauce with cumin and salt and process until smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Cucumber

Garlic

Yogurt

Clove

Cumin

Juice

Lemon

Sauce

Water

Dill

Salt

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Sieve

Serve the meatballs with the sauce and pitas and alongside the Orzo with Feta and Walnuts.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

Walnuts

Pita

Sauce

Feta Cheese

Orzo

Heat a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the orzo to al dente, 7 minutes. Toast the walnuts until fragrant in small pan over medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Walnuts

Toast

Water

Orzo

Salt

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Pot

Combine the orzo with the walnuts, parsley, feta and a drizzle of EVOO and season with pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Parsley

Walnuts

Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Feta Cheese

Orzo

Equipment

Recommended wine: Agiorgitiko, Assyrtiko, Moschofilero

Greek works really well with Agiorgitiko, Assyrtiko, and Moschofilero. If you feel like going Greek with your Greek food, assyrtiko and moschofilero are both lovely white wines to pair with chicken, seafood, etc. Agiorgitiko is a full bodied red suitable for roasted meats and lamb. The Skouras Saint George Agiorgitiko with a 4.1 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 18 dollars per bottle.