Harissa-glazed lamb meatballs

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What's the most obvious marker of America's decline?

Some would say culture war, wealth inequality, currency devaluation, etcetera.

I'd say it's meatballs.

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Meatballs from the past were much different than today's.

They had nostalgic value.

Picture this:

You're a kid again. Your family gathers for a meal on a Sunday after church.

Your 71-year-old grandmother talks about how she spent all day yesterday making her famous meatballs in anticipation for the gathering.

(But she really just wants recognition for her work. And in fact, she spent most of yesterday eating popcorn and watching the Golden Girls on NBC.)

Irrelevant.

Grandma doesn't cut corners with meatballs.

She takes a trip to the butcher to buy freshly ground meat - only the best.

One at a time, she measures out the seasonings and pours them into a mixing bowl. A cup of breadcrumbs, some garlic, some eggs.

Her hands, old and worn, (but still strong) sink into the mixture and blend it all until just combined; careful not to over-mix.

Having rolled thousands of meatballs in her lifetime, they're all evenly-sized, lined up on a baking sheet...

without using a scale.

After pulling them out of the oven when they're finished baking, she has to shoo away family members trying to snag one while her back is turned.

All around the table, the whole family tells Grandma how much they love the meatballs.

(Except your great-aunt Theresa, who still argues that her version's better because she uses FRESH oregano instead of dried.)

Mostly irrelevant.

Here's my point:

Meatballs used to be tied to good memories; something you'd look forward to eating.

But they seem to have lost their appeal.

And it's understandable because most of the meatballs that end up on our dinner plates come from the freezer section of the grocery store.

They taste like vegan hot dogs and contain a list of preservatives longer than this entire post.

So when people consider proteins for healthy weeknight meal prep, meatballs never make the list.

Let's change that.

For this week's SIMPL recipe, Mediterranean flavors come together to build a rich, aromatic meal that could rival anything from Grandma's kitchen.

With 46 grams of muscle-building protein, this dish features meatballs made with lean ground lamb (although you could substitute ground beef if you prefer).

My Butcher Box subscription offers top-quality ground lamb that's hard to find in most grocery stores.

The meatballs are glazed with harissa, (a spicy North African condiment made with red chiles) then placed on a pan and baked in the oven.

I use a HexClad 12-inch hybrid fry pan that works well in the oven. Its thick structure retains enough heat to cook the meatballs evenly from the bottom and the top.

For a starch, couscous is steamed in a pan, then tossed with lemon juice, fresh mint and pomegranate seeds.

To round out the dish, it's served with a dipping sauce made from Greek Yogurt puréed with lemon, garlic and cucumber.

With a cooking time of just 90 minutes, Grandma might accuse you of taking shortcuts.

But after you take the first bite, it'll be irrelevant.

Here's the nutrition breakdown for 1 serving:

You can get the full 5-portion recipe for this, and all my high-protein dishes when you become a SIMPL Insider.

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