Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Place tabbouleh in a large heatproof bowl; add 1 cup boiling water, cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Add lamb, next 5 ingredients, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well with hands, and shape into golf ball-size meatballs. Lightly spritz meatballs with cooking spray.

Coat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with cooking spray, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and heat 2 minutes over high heat. Brown meatballs in 3 batches over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per batch, shaking pot so meatballs brown evenly. Add remaining olive oil as needed. Drain browned meatballs on paper towels.

Deglaze pot with 1 cup water, cooking 2 minutes over medium heat and stirring to loosen browned particles. Add tomato sauce, bay leaves, and remaining pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, and return meatballs to pot; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves, and serve meatballs and sauce warm, or freeze.

Note: If freezing, cool meatballs in sauce 30 minutes, transfer to a shallow 4-quart freezer-to-oven casserole dish, and cover with aluminum foil; label and date the container. To reheat thawed meatballs, bake, still wrapped in foil, at 350° for 45 minutes or until warm.