Lamb Meatballs with a Fig and Rosemary Compote

Katie here. The other day I attempted cooking with lamb for the first time! It didn't go perfectly, but it was still quite yummy. I feel that I need to play with the balance of spice in the meatballs and I burnt the compote on the first try--still need to perfect my skills on that one. With that said, for a first attempt I was quite happy.

Spiced Lamb Meatballs:

1 lb ground lamb

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper

Fig and Rosemary Compote:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

4 fried figs

1 sprig fresh rosemary

First step, preheating to oven to 375*F.

Then in a mixing bowl I combined the lamb and spices with my hands.

And formed meatballs about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.

Then they baked for 25 minutes.

While the meat balls were cooking I tried to make the fig and rosemary compote. 

I have never made a compote before, so of course I burnt it on my first try! It became more of a molasses. A burnt molasses! But I was not going to feel defeated and washed the pan out and started again. I simply added the water, balsamic, figs and rosemary in a sauce pan and simmered it until the texture became think.

I still feel that I have a lot of room to grow here, but everyday is a new adventure. Have you tried any new recipes that did not quite hit the mark?