Why do Orthodox eat lamb for Easter? In honour of the Orthodox Easter Weekend. Because Christ died on the cross for our sins, he became the sacrificial lamb. Since Pascha, or Easter, is the day where we commemorate Jesus’s sacrifice, we eat lamb in remembrance of this selfless act. I grew up in a Greek household and lamb being served at Easter was a tradition for me.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 5
Lamb Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion make it really fine
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
  • 1/2 tsp ground paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1–1/2 tsp salt

Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 Tbsp. cilantro chopped fine
  • 1/2 Tbsp. mint chopped fine
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp coriander
  • salt and pepper optional
  • zest of one lemon

Instructions

  • Let sit overnight or for a few minutes
  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through
  • Mix together all yogurt sauce ingredients, salt and pepper to taste
  • Serve meatballs on skewers or with toothpicks, and with yogurt dipping sauce