Moroccan Meatballs

Morocco is up there on my list of places to visit. I have a good Moroccan friend who always tells me all about its splendors, and after watching Sex and The City 2, I was hooked. The movie portrays that they're in Abu Dhabi in the Arab Emirates as "The New Dubai," but really they're in Morocco! Parts of the film were shot in various locations and hotels around Marrakech. There are many rumors about which hotel they actually stayed in and trust me I've researched this long and hard, and the rumored places are: Amanjena Hotel in Marrakech, La Mamounia Hotel, and Royal Mansour. And you HAVE to click on these 3 hotel links to be blown away! You may not be able to be physically swept into Arabian Nights at the moment, but you can at least eat as if you are...

INGREDIENTS

Fresh Chopped Parsley

Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Package of Pita

1 10-ounce package plain couscous

Meatballs

1 1/3 pounds lean ground beef (20% fat) 

1 large onion, minced (about 2/3 cup) 

3 tablespoons water 

4 teaspoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon tumeric 

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/8 cup breadcrumbs 

1 egg

Salad

Cucumber

Tomato

Chick Peas

Tzatziki Sauce

8 oz Greek Yogurt

2 Cucumbers peeled and shredded

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by making the tzatziki sauce. Combine yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, either by hand or in a good processor or blender. Process until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Meatball time. Sautee the onion in pan until cooked. When the onions are cooled, mix the onions with the ground beef and all the spices in a medium bowl. Roll the meat into a mini meatball shape. You can use an ice-cream scooper or a teaspoon to create uniform sized meatballs. Put the meatballs on a baking rack over a baking tray in the oven. Cook 400 degrees until brown and crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside, approximately 8-10 minutes.

While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare the coucous according to package instructions. While the meatballs and coucous are cooking, make the salad. Chop up cucumbers, tomatoes, and combine with chick peas. Toast the pita bread. By now, everything should be almost cooked. Add parsley and cilantro to the dishes for garnish.