Pistachio Mango Lamb Meatballs

Cooking Instructions

Make pickled Mustard seeds: Recommended to make 2 to 3 days ahead and store in refrigerator.

1. Blanch the mustard seeds about 1 to 1/2 dozen times, (bring to a boil in water, drain and discard the water) Repeat until the discarded water does not taste bitter
2. Combine vinegars, water, brown sugar, sea salt, and bay leaves in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the mustard seeds, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until seeds are tender and plump. Let cool at room temp and refrigerate
3. Cook Chickpeas: Before cooking, it's always good practice to sift through the dried chickpeas to look for stones, etc. Once sifted, rinse chickpeas under the faucet with cold water.
4. Cover the chickpeas with water and soak overnight. The following day, drain chickpeas and rinse under the faucet with cold water.
5. Place the chickpeas in a pot add the low sodium chicken stock to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches. Add the onions and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until chickpeas are tender. Skim off any white foam during the cooking of the chickpeas.

Make a DIY vegetable wash, which is very simple to do:

1. Fill your kitchen sink with cold water. Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda and soak the kale for 15 minutes. The longer you soak the more pesticides you get rid of. Wash the kale thoroughly and rinse under the faucet with cold water.
2. Wash the cilantro and celery leaves for the salad in the DIY vegetable wash, set aside and reserve for the mango tango salad.
3. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, remove the onions and bay leaves. Combine 1 cup of cooked chickpeas and 1 cup of the chickpea broth and blend with hand blender to a smooth consistency. Add this mixture back into the chickpeas, add the chopped kale, salt, and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes.

Make the Meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. In a bowl combine ground lamb with all the spices, the grated orange zest, chopped pistachio, red wine vinegar, red wine, grated onion, and blend together thoroughly.
3. Spray sheet pan with olive oil. Form the mixture into meatballs of about 1 ounce each and place on a sheet pan.
4. Bake Lamb meatballs in the pre-heated oven until they are nicely browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Blend the Yogurt:

1. Combine yogurt, water and sea salt in a bowl and blend. Set aside and keep at room temperature

Make the Hot Sauce:

1. Heat oil in pan over medium, add stemmed, seeded Fresno peppers and garlic and cook until peppers are bright red and garlic is nicely browned.
2. Cool, add sea salt, and red wine vinegar.
3. Blend with hand blender until almost smooth. Sauce should be chunky. Hot sauce can be made 1 week ahead, cover and chill

Make the Cilantro Celery salad:

1. In a bowl whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and the Mango Tango seasoning into a dressing.
2. Just before service, toss cilantro and celery leaves with dressing to coat.

Ladle lemon kale chickpeas into bowls and drizzle each with virgin olive oil and plenty of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Finish each bowl with meatballs, yogurt, simple hot sauce, pickled mustard seeds and cilantro celery salad.