Few words can describe the flavor explosion in these Mediterranean Glow Bowl with Morrocan Spiced Meatballs! Hummus serves as the base, topped with Moroccan spiced meatballs, sweet cherry tomatoes, lightly dressed Israeli couscous, salty kalamatas, homemade creamy tzatziki, and garlic-spiked hummus, fresh and crunchy cucumbers, marinated artichokes, and PICKLES. Be prepared: you’ve found your new favorite recipe.
Who doesn’t love a good bowl? They’re arguably everywhere, and positively delicious.
And easy.
And nutritious.
And choose-your-own-adventure-esque.
(BTW who also LOVED those books when they were a kid? I feel like one of the endings always resulted in the reader’s death though…CREEPY MUCH?!)
I digress.
Let’s come back to these Mediterranean Glow Bowls. GOODNESS are these unreal, you guys.
The Moroccan Spiced Meatballs alone are worth making these. They have this sweet heat to them from hand ground spices, countered by the freshness from the mint.
PURE. FLAVOR. EXPLOSION.
Oh, and did I mention that these bowls have ALL THE FIXINS?! If you were with me right now, you’d see how much of a loss I’m at for even attempting to describe this recipe.
- Sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Lightly dressed Israeli cous cous.
- Salty kalamatas.
- Homemade creamy tzatziki and garlic-spiked hummus.
- Fresh and crunchy cucumbers.
- Marinated artichokes.
- And PICKLES. Pickles you guys….PICKLES!
In one of my first recipes I ever posted on the blog, I rehashed my travels post-college with my sister. One of our stops (and surely my most anticipated) was Greece. We had the great fortune of enjoying a traditional Greek meal with the most friendly Greeks you’ve ever met. At a winery. In the Grecian countryside. With copious amounts of gyro (pickles included!), Greek salad, feta, french fries, tzatziki, hummus, and of course – wine. To say I still daydream about this day would be a severe understatement (#takemeback?).
Let’s talk about the assembly of these gorgeous bowls.
The assembly is critical – it allows you eat the “perfect bite” every time.
First, the hummus has to be the base. A dollop on top? Sure, but there won’t be any left in your last few bites. Take a big ole’ spoonful (yes, that’s a technical instruction) of hummus, and plop it in the middle of your bowl. Using the backside of the spoon, spread the hummus by turning the bowl with your other hand. This creates an even schmear of hummus.
Again, so technical.
HELLLLLLLOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! My mouth is officially salivating. You know yours is, too.
You may, at this point, already scrolled down to the recipe. Good for you! But one note to make: I don’t call out specific amounts of each ingredient. Which is purposeful. I think these bowls should be something of a work of art.
YOU choose how many meatballs you want.
YOU choose the ratio:
Grain heavy? More Israeli cous cous.
Veg heavy? Extra tomatoes & cukes.
Salty mood? ALL THE PICKLES, OLIVES, AND ARTS PLEASE.
Serve with some fresh lemon, ripped pita, extra humus and tzatziki, and DIG IN. These Mediterranean Glow Bowls are ready for ya!
Mediterranean Glow Bowl
Ingredients
For the Moroccan spiced meatballs:
- 1 lb Ground beef (or lamb)
- 2 tsp Fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp oregano ,
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp coriander seed
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed
For assembly:
- Hummus
- Cooked Israeli cous cous
- Marinated artichokes
- cherry tomatoes chopped
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Kalamata olives,
- Pickles sliced
- Feta cheese
- Tzatziki
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
For the Moroccan spiced meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, spraying with cooking oil.
- Add all meatball ingredients to large bowl. Using hands, thoroughly mix.
- Using a cookie scoop (creates uniform meatballs), scoop mixture on to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cooked through.
For assembly:
- Spread desired amount of hummus in a bowl. Add ingredients in layers, in amounts that suit your fancy. Ingredient amounts were specifically not listed...make this your own!