Herby Greek meatballs with pea pesto wrapped in colorful tortillas or greens
No veganism today, we enjoy good meat today and even more - great street style food. I've made these balls for years, but not yet with such condiments - the outcome was beyond any expectations.
Let’s get righ into the recipe and this time again I will give you an extra bonus in the form of cute printable pdf recipe cards.
There’s a surprising element in pea pesto, which is pistachio paste - if possible, don’t replace it, it really adds on to the whole flavor experience.
Don’t hesitate to get back to me if you have questions, ideas or suggestions for any of my recipes.
Greek meatballs with pea pesto
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients for meatballs
400 g quality or ground beef
100 g full fat cream cheese
3 slices fresh white bread
1 tbsp finely sliced fresh rosemary
1 tbsp finely sliced fresh oregano
1 tbsp finely sliced fresh thyme
big clove garlic
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 dl full fat milk
1 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
Ingredients for pea pesto
400 g frozen fresh peas
100 g parmesan - half inside pesto / half for serving
handful fresh basil
50 g pistachio paste
1 dl extra virgin olive oil
1 big clove garlic
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
water for boiling
1 tsp salt into the boiling water
Ingredients for assembling the wraps
8 soft small tortillas (I used some colorful carrot and beetroot tortillas
iceberg, romaine lettuce or other crunchy green leaves of taste
200 g greek yoghurt
grated parmesan or other strong-flavored hard cheese
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper
Method
Meatballs
The most time-saving way is to make the meatball dough first. The balls want some time for resting before the oven. For the balls first soak your bread in milk and then wash thoroughly your lemon and grate the zest. After that you basically just mix everything together, preferably by hands. You can squeeze the softened bread separately first if it seems rather hard and then knead and squeeze everything together. Roll the balls and place them onto an oven sheet that is covered with baking paper. To get balls that are pretty much the same in size, use tablespoons for measuring. Meanwhile, make the pesto (instruction below) and turn the oven to 225 degrees C or 435 - 440 F. After resting 15 minutes, put the meatballs into the oven for another 15 minutes.
Pea pesto
Boil at least 1 litre water in a kettle, pour it to your pot and turn the stove to the highest heat. Add 1 tsp of salt to water and boil the peas just for a minute on a high heat, so that the water is bubbling,then drain them and startle with a sudden quick shower of cold water. That way they remain nice and vibrant green. To mix everything together, use immersion blender. Try not to make totally smooth paste as it's nice to have some half or whole peas in it. After you have turned your pesto into the serving bowl, add some extra virgin olive oil, a bit of grated cheese and grind pepper. Why not to garnish with a few basil leaves as well.
Assembling the wraps
Boil at least 1 litre of water in a kettle, pour it into your pot and turn the stove to the highest heat. Add 1 tsp of salt to water and boil the peas just for a minute on a high heat, so that the water is bubbling,then drain them and startle with a sudden quick shower of cold water. That way they remain nice and vibrant green.
To mix everything together, use an immersion blender. Try not to make totally smooth paste as it's nice to have some half or whole peas in it. After you have turned your pesto into the serving bowl, add some extra virgin olive oil, a bit of grated cheese and grind pepper. Why not garnish with a few basil leaves as well.
You can use the pea pesto with a bunch of other dishes too for sure. Think about fresh breads, pasta, baby potatoes, as a dip for crunchy veggies or savory biscuits… There are endless more ways to use it.
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