Moroccan Lamb Meatballs and Rice

I read a few paleo blogs on the regular and have realized recently that I am, 1. jealous that these bloggers cook and blog for a living, and 2. jealous they have cookbooks or are in the process of writing a cookbook.  I wish I could devote all my work time to my blog, but I can't.  I am not sure I am quite at the cookbook writing stage either, but everyone has a dream.  Although, come to think of it, my dream is more along the lines of a restaurant, as opposed to a cookbook.  I wonder if a paleo restaurant would make it?  Enough day dreaming, let's get to the food.  I love lamb, so I buy it frequently.  Most often in the ground form.  I have made meatballs for the site before, but I couldn't resist.  I consulted my Flavor Thesaurus as a guide to see what I could add to these for an interesting twist.  I found that almonds and lamb go very well together, as well as other Moroccan flavors like cinnamon and allspice.  Combined with Ian's love of middle eastern cuisine, I knew this one would be a winner.

Note: This looks like a long list, but I think these are all ingredients most of us have on hand.  This recipe will also test your multi-tasking skills. If it seems like too much, put the rice together first and then keep it on low while you make and bake your meatballs.

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs and Rice

(Print Recipe)

For the Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground Lamb
1 Egg, beaten
2 Tbls Mint, chopped

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp Onion powder

1/2 tsp Allspice

1/2 tsp Ginger

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

For the Rice:

1 head Cauliflower, riced in your food processor
1/3 cup Pistachios, chopped
1/3 cup Raisins

1/2 white onion, chopped

1/3 cup Chicken stock

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

For the Sauce:

1/3 cup Almond butter

1 Tbls Tahini paste

1 Tbls Coconut aminos

1/3 cup Chicken stock

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
First, make your sauce.  In the bowl of a food processor or blender (I used a Vitamix), add your ingredients and blend.  Add more stock as needed to thin out the sauce to your liking.  Set aside.
Then, in a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for meatballs.  Form into 1 1/2 inch balls (I made 18) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes for medium, longer if you like well-done.
While meatballs are cooking, make you rice.  Saute onion in a dab of coconut oil for 2-3 minutes, add cauliflower, raisins, chicken stock and spices, cover.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until cauliflower is cooked through. (I like mine, al dente). Add pistachios before serving.

Assemble and eat! You earned it!