North African Beef Meatball & Eggplant Mezze
with Mint Mayo & Zesty Bulgur
Cooking time
25 minutes
Servings
2/4
Calories
810 /serving
Ras el hanout—a pungent blend of warm, earthy, floral spices—means top shelf in Arabic. It infuses pan-browned beef meatballs that join discs of roasted eggplant for a marvellous mezze. Give it all a drizzle of spiced mayo with lemon and mint.
We will send you:
- 250g Canadian-raised lean ground beef
- 1 Eggplant
- 1 Lemon
- 14g Mint
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 120g Baby greens (lettuce mix, baby spinach, kale or arugula)
- 80g Bulgur
- 60ml Mayonnaise
- 20g Panko
- 8g Red Ras el Hanout (paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, fennel seeds, nutmeg, dill seeds, allspice, caraway, galangal, cloves, mace, rose petals, lavender, bay leaves, saffron)
Contains: Eggs • Sulphites • Wheat
You will need:
Large pan
Medium pot
Oil
Parchment paper
Salt & pepper (S&P)
Sheet pan
Zester
1 or 2 Eggs
Total Fat
51 g
Saturated Fat
10 g
Sodium
380 mg
Total Carb
54 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
37 g
Fibre
14 g
Preparation
Roast the eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Cut the eggplant crosswise into ½ inch pieces.
- On a lined sheet pan, toss with a drizzle of oil and S&P.
- Roast, flipping halfway, 18 to 20 min., until tender.
Prepare & cook the meatballs
- Meanwhile, zest and quarter the lemon.
- Mince the garlic.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, panko, ½ the lemon zest, ½ the garlic, 1 egg (double for 4 portions), ½ the red ras el hanout and S&P.
- Form into 8 meatballs (double for 4 portions).
- In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high.
- Add the meatballs* and cook, partially covered, turning occasionally, 9 to 11 min., until browned and cooked through.
Cook the bulgur
- Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach.
- In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high.
- Add the remaining garlic and sauté, 30 sec. to 1 min., until fragrant.
- Add the bulgur, ¾ cup water (double for 4 portions) and a big pinch of salt; bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, 6 to 8 min., until the bulgur is tender and the water has been absorbed.
- Add the spinach and remaining lemon zest. Fluff the bulgur.
Make the spiced mayo
- Meanwhile, pick the mint leaves off the stems; roughly chop the leaves.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, 1 tbsp water (double for 4 portions), the juice of ½ the lemon wedges, ½ the mint and the remaining red ras el hanout.
Plate your dish
- Divide the bulgur between your plates.
- Top with the meatballs and eggplant.
- Drizzle with the spiced mayo.
- Garnish with the remaining mint and lemon wedges. Bon appétit!
Celebrating Ontario Indigenous cuisine
Our next collab highlights Ontario’s rich Indigenous culinary traditions. We’re proud to team up with celebrated Chef Joseph Shawana, an Odawa chef from Manitoulin Island and member of the Three Fires Confederacy. Try his Ontario Indigenous-Style Bison Meatballs with Blueberry BBQ Sauce & Red Rice Pilaf, delivered this September.
*Health Canada recommends cooking ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 71°C.
