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Mediterranean Traybake Recipe: Lamb Meatballs
Prep time:20 mins- Cook time:30 mins
Servings:4
This Mediterranean traybake recipe was developed by Anna’s Kitchen Table in collaboration with The Fast 800. It champions her Greek Cypriot traditions, providing plenty of different flavours while sticking to the pillars of The Fast 800, ready to enjoy on any fasting or non-fasting day.
The star of this Mediterranean traybake recipe is, of course, the meatballs. You may be more used to beef meatballs, but this recipe calls for lamb mince to bring the iconic Greek flavours to life. Lamb mince is a ‘complete protein’, helping provide all the benefits of a protein-rich diet. It’s also rich in vitamin B12 and heme iron, which is a form of dietary iron found exclusively in meat and seafood that helps support energy metabolism.
Providing more of the iconically Greek flavours in this Mediterranean traybake recipe is the feta cheese and Greek yogurt. Both are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats that help keep you energised and satiated until your next meal. What’s more, feta cheese is lower in calories than hard cheeses, can be easier to digest if you’re sensitive to lactose, and contains live bacteria that promotes a healthy gut microbiome.
These tasty ingredients lie on a bed of deliciously seasoned, roasted, non-starchy vegetables, so feel free to load up on the veggies in this recipe. Prepared in just 15 minutes and at under 500 calories per portion, it’s a dish that is ideal for serving at a dinner party: simply pair with a side of root vegetables for anyone not fasting.
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Ingredients
- 500g lamb mince
- 2 red onion, half grated and half cut into chunks
- 4 tsp dried mint
- 8 tsp dried oregano
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 courgette, cut into thick chunks
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 aubergine, cut into chunks
- 1 red pepper, thickly sliced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic clove, halved
- 80g feta
- 120g Greek yoghurt
- Fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to fan forced 170°C/190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
- Put mince, grated onion, dried mint, half the oregano, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl and mix well. Divide equally and roll into meatballs.
- In a large bowl, mix all the vegetables along with the oil, garlic, remaining oregano, and some salt and pepper. Tip out onto a large roasting tin and place the meatballs on top. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway.
- Meanwhile, crumble the feta and mix with the yoghurt.
- Serve the traybake with the fresh mint, yoghurt mix, and lemon wedges.
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Notes
- Non-fasting day? Serve with a wholemeal pita bread.
- Make it family friendly! Add some root vegetables to the baking tray such as potato or sweet potato.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and serve.
- Batch prep and freeze the meatballs. Defrost and continue the recipe from step 3.
- Some brands of cheese (including feta) may contain rennet so are not strictly vegetarian. Check the product you buy uses vegetarian ingredients. Brands vary, it is always important to read labels first.