Paleo Lamb Mini Meatloaves

With the exception of the recipe I am about to share, this has been a somewhat disappointing week in the kitchen for me.  I spend a lot of time scouring recipes and deciding what to make and what kinds of alterations I’d like.  And then I spend a lot of money (an embarrassing portion of my budget, actually) buying the best ingredients I can get my hands on.  And then I set to work in the kitchen.  I’m always excited to get started on a new cooking project.  As I chop my vegetables, I think about just how to word something in my upcoming blog post.  I daydream about the photos I’ll take as I pop something in the oven.  But sometimes, it’s just not meant to be.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll usually end up with something that I’m perfectly happy to eat myself.  But many times I have to make the decision that it’s just not up to sharing standards.  Perhaps the texture is off or I’ve ended up having to improvise so much that I don’t have anything resembling a recipe at the end.  It was that kind of week for me.

Luckily, I had a serendipitous encounter with a farmer (shepherd?) selling grass-fed ground lamb at the farmer’s market this week.  I really didn’t have any plans for recipes involving ground lamb but, as I heard more about his farming operation, I decided I had to try his product.  The next day, I knew that it had to be meatloaf.

These mini-meatloaves saved my week.  Sometimes you have to work through some disappointments before you get to something amazing.  I think this holds true for the kitchen and life.

Paleo Lamb Mini-Meatloaves
makes 6 (serves 3-4)

Ingredients
– 1 lb ground lamb
– 1 egg
– 3 Tbsp tomato sauce
– 3 Tbsp almond flour
– 1 Tbsp flax meal
– 1 Tbsp coconut oil
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp paprika
– 1 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Mix well for a few minutes.  It’s important to try and evenly distribute the flax meal so you don’t end up with little “pockets”.  The coconut oil may harden and not completely mix in, which is ok.

Scoop the mixture into a muffin tin.  You should have enough for 6.  The lamb will release a fair amount of juice and you may want to place a pan beneath to catch drippings.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until cooked through and browning on top.  Cool for a few minutes before serving.

* I added this link to this week’s Foodie Friday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Traditional Tuesday, Seasonal Sunday, Monday Mania, and Melt in Your Mouth Monday.