Meatballs With Eggplant and Feta

A Donna Hay recipe I made for New Years Eve. They are delicious eaten warm to room temp, but not so nice refrigerated as the cheese sets and they become quite firm. They are served with Tzatziki (yoghurt and cucumber dip).

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Yields: 36 meatballs

Ingredients

• 400  g eggplants, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 500  g ground beef or 500  g lamb
• 1⁄3 cup parsley, chopped
• 1⁄3 mint, crushed
• 2  cloves crushed garlic
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon rind
• 200  g feta, crumbled
•  salt and pepper
•  olive oil, extra
•  lemon wedge, to serve

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190c.
2. Toss the finely chopped eggplant in the two tablespoons of oil, spread on an oven tray and cook for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool.
3. Combine cooled eggplant and remaining ingredients (except extra oil and lemon wedges). form into 36 walnut sized balls (I got about 40!).
4. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and cook the balls in a couple of batches on all sides for about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a baking tray and cook about 5 minutes more in a 190c oven.