Lamb Porcupines

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. lean ground lamb
• 2 oz. crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/2 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves or mint leaves
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking whole-grain rice
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 tbsp. part-skim ricotta cheese

Makes 4 Servings (2 meatballs each)

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, feta, cilantro or mint, rice, egg, marjoram, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup water. Mix well. Shape into 8 golf ball-sized meatballs.
2. In a large skillet, heat the tomatoes over medium heat. Add the meatballs, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the rice is tender.
3. Spoon 2 meatballs and some sauce onto each of the 4 plates and top each serving with 1 tablespoon ricotta.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick and Easy Cookbook. These version of meatballs are called porcupines because the rice swells when the lamb is cooked. These meatballs originated from a Betty Crocker recipe made with beef and white rice. Every country has their own version of the meatball. This meatball is what I like to call Mediterranean meats Middle Eastern because it's lamb mixed with feta cheese and Greek and Turkish herbs. I was surprised and how they turned out. Most meatballs I've cooked in the past and to be broiled or cooked in the pan a long time. Not these meatballs! These meatballs were plump and juicy not to mention totally delicious. If you have access to fresh tomatoes, use them instead of canned tomatoes. There's nothing like cooked, fresh tomatoes. You can have these meatballs and tomatoes as leftovers the next day on French bread and have a meatball sub. Who says a meatball sub has to be Italian?