I am a little reluctant to blog about work. Most of us have jobs and most of them aren’t that interesting. The exception is my husband, Matt. He’s a nurse and a great story teller. He always dazzles with his work tales.
Anyhow, what I wanted to communicate was that I have a job. My work keeps me very busy this time of year. During late August and September, I spent a lot of hours in front of a computer not reading about food or CrossFit.
To get through this month, Matt and I have a few kitchen rules. Rule #1 is “Cook it all.” Don’t fry up a few sausage patties for breakfast. Put the whole batch in the pan and then stick them in the fridge for later. (A related kitchen rule is “Embrace leftovers.”)
Today’s dish is perfect for making in advance and having in the refrigerator. I can whip up a double recipe and have food for a few meals. As I have written the recipe below, it’s lovely. The flavor greets you politely and won’t upset the guests. Where it gets interesting – and what makes this a great dish to have around – is how easily you can change it up. Add a new topping and it will take on a new personality.
Here are some of the ways you can make it fun.
- Fresh mint
- Cashews
- Dash of lemon juice
- More coconut milk
- Parsley pesto (Blend parsley, walnuts, garlic, olive oil and salt)
- Caramelized onions
- Greek yogurt (if you eat dairy)
- Raisins
- Bacon (Not because bacon really goes with this dish, but because everyone likes bacon on top.)
Do you have other ideas? Add them to comments below! And one other thing – If you are on Twitter and you like this blog, would you please follow me on Twitter at @nourishpaleo? It’s kind of fun!
Lamb Meatballs over Creamed Spinach
Ground lamb, 1 pound
Cumin, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
Garlic powder, 2 teaspoons
Olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
Shallot, minced, 1/2 cup (If you don’t have shallots, a yellow onion works well too. It’s just a little stronger so you may want to use less. )
Spinach, 6- 8 cups loosely packed
Coconut milk, 1/3 cup
Salt and pepper
- Add ground lamb, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and some salt to large bowl.
- Use your hands to mush together until blended. Then form meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter.
- Add olive oil and meatballs to skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes, moving the meatballs around occasionally to make sure all sides are browned.
- Remove meatballs from pan, leaving any fat in the pan.
- Add shallot and cook for a minute.
- Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and coconut milk. Stir.
- Add spinach and cover. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes
- Add meatballs back in to the mixture.
- Serve and enjoy