Tunisian-Spiced Meatballs
with Persian Jeweled Yellow Rice and Roasted Zucchini
Move over, spaghetti, because we’re all about sweet and savory jeweled rice with our meatballs! Yep, the classic Italian dish took a trip East and it’s more delicious and flavorful than ever. To start, ground beef is mixed with Tunisian spice blend—full of warm spices like coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and chili powder—then formed into meatballs. They’re roasted to perfection alongside onion wedges and zucchini. The veggies are then stirred into fluffy yellow rice studded with minced onion, sweet golden raisins, toasty almonds, and lemon zest. For a finishing touch, the dish is drizzled with a creamy lemon sauce. Sayonara, marinara!
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Ingredients
1 unit
Zucchini
1 unit
Red Onion
1 unit
Lemon
½ cup
Basmati Rice
1 ounce
Golden Raisins
1 teaspoon
Turmeric
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
10 ounce
Ground Beef
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Tunisian Spice Blend
4 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains Milk)
1 ounce
Almonds
(Contains Tree Nuts)
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Instructions
Adjust rack to top and middle position; preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim and quarter zucchini lengthwise; slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces. Halve and peel onion. Mince half the onion; slice remaining half into ½-inch-thick wedges. Zest and quarter lemon.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add minced onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in rice, raisins, turmeric, stock concentrate, and ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4); season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, panko, Tunisian Spice, and 1 TBSP water (2 TBSP for 4 servings). Season with salt (we used ¾ tsp; use 1½ tsp for 4) and pepper. Form into 10-12 1½-inch meatballs (20-24 for 4). Place on a baking sheet.
On a second baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion wedges with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 18-20 minutes. Roast meatballs on middle rack until browned and cooked through, 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Fluff rice with a fork; stir in roasted veggies, lemon zest, and half the almonds. (TIP: Transfer to a large bowl if the pot is overflowing.) Season with salt and pepper; divide between plates. Top with meatballs; drizzle with sauce and hot sauce to taste. Top with remaining almonds. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.
