Beef Quinoa Meatballs
These beef and quinoa meatballs are easy to make, naturally gluten free & full of flavour! Cooked in a rustic tomato sauce to create a one pot dish for a easy weeknight dinner. Serve simply with crusty bread or turn them into meatball subs! Delicious either way.
Serves 4
Effort: Easy
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Gluten free
Ingredients
500g beef mince
1/2 packet of tomato & olive quinoa - Thistle Be Good
2 spring onion, diced finely
1.5 tbsp tomato paste
1 egg
Sauce
1 onion, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 can diced tomato
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
A handful of kalamata olives (about15)
1/2 grated parmesan cheese + extra for sprinkling
Fresh basil to serve
Instructions
In a deep non-stick frying pan with 2 tbsp olive oil heat over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot and zucchini, stirring, for 5–10 minutes or until light golden.
Meanwhile, combine mince, spring onion, tomato paste, egg and quinoa in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the beef mixture into 18 meatballs. These can be done in advance and left in the fridge until ready.
Add tomatoes, the chicken stock & tomato paste to vegetables and bring to the boil. Add meatballs. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30–35 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
Toss in the olives and sprinkle the parmesan into the sauce, give it all a gentle stir & season. Sprinkle with a little extra parmesan.
Serve with crusty bread & extra veggies
Hints & tips
Mince - Beef mince is used in this recipe. However, feel free to swap it for your favourite type - pork, chicken or lamb. They will all suit this dish.
Veggies - Grating the veggies creates a thick rustic sauce. I recommend not altering this method.
Quinoa - The quinoa will expand and will look like it has popped open, revealing the germ of the kernel. You will see this on the outside of the meatball. If you think the meatballs need longer, cook for a further 5 mins and check again.
Serving suggestion - Serve with crusty warm bread/ garlic bread and extra veggies. Another serving option would be to turn these into meatball/quinoa subs with soft hotdog rolls topped with mozzarella cheese.
Portion size - Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers. Will double if required.
Storage - Store in the fridge for 3 days. Suitable for freezing. Add a little extra water when reheating if the sauce has thickened.
