Middle Eastern Meatballs

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Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

500g pumpkin

1 tablespoon olive oil

500g beef mince

1 small brown onion, finely chopped Handful of parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish

½ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Handful of toasted pine nuts, to serve Slices of crusty bread, to serve

Tahini Sauce

2 tablespoons tahini (or any nut butter) 2 tablespoons yoghurt

2 tablespoons water Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, crushed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Line a roasting pan with baking paper. 2. Cut the pumpkin into 4cm chunks, place in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, mix well to coat the pumpkin, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the roasting pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, place the beef, onion, parsley, allspice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, then mix well to combine.

4. Using your hands, roll the beef mixture into golf ballsized meatballs. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 12 minutes or until cooked through.

5. While the meatballs are cooking, make the tahini sauce. Mix all the ingredients together In a bowl until they form a smooth consistency.

Cooks Tip:

You can make the meatballs earlier in the day – just cover and keep in the fridge until ready to cook. If the tahini sauce is too thick, add a dash of water.