To be honest I wasn’t sure how this meal would sit with my little family. Normally meatballs in our house are served with plenty of sauce and pasta or rice. As I love to experiment with food I decided we needed a break from our normal. That’s when I decided to add meatballs to a quinoa risotto instead. To me, meatballs, pasta and sauce is an American-Italian dish but I wanted to know where the meal originated.
Although the lovely Italian Americans try to claim the dinner as there own it does actually originate from Italy. In fact, there are recipes and cookbook that date back to the middle ages with this dish in. Meatballs are believed to be most popular from the southern parts of Italy and this is where most Italian immigrants emigrated to the United States. I wonder if these Americans would enjoy my version of meatballs. We did and we hope you do too.
Do you love meatballs and how do you enjoy eating them? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Mixing bowl
- Colander
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Baking tray
- Saucepan
- Stirring spoon
Ingredients
- Mince Beef
- Ground almond x 6 – 8 tbsps (or breadcrumbs)
- Tomato pureex 2 tbsp
- Mild or hot chilli powder x 1 tsp
- Ground ginger x 1 tsp
- Ground cinnamon x 1/2 tsp
- Dried oregano x 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method for the chilli meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC and add the tray at the same time.
- Next add the mild or hot chilli powder, ginger, cinnamon, dried mixed herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add in the tomato puree to the bowl as well.
- Using your hands, scrunch all the ingredients together.
- Once they are well mixed, make the mixture into 12 – 16 meatballs burgers.
- Remove the preheated tray from the oven and put the meatballs in.
- Let them cook for 25 – 30 minutes or util they are a golden brown colour and the juices have run clear.
Ingredients
- Onion x 1
- Carrots x 1
- Yellow pepper x 1
- Green beans x 2 handfuls
- Quinoa x 300g
- Rosemary x 4 sprigs
- Dried mixed herbs x 1 tsp
- Rosemary x 1tsp
- Bone Broth or chicken stock x 600mls
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Spinach x 2 handfuls
Method
- Wash the quinoa through twice in a sieve and set aside.
- Peel and slice the onion and set aside.
- Peel the carrot and then cut into small pieces.
- Cut the top from the yellow pepper and remove the stalk and core.
- Slice then dice the flesh of the pepper into small pieces.
- Put the saucepan on the hob and add oil to the base.
- When the pan is hot, add in the leek and fry until they become soft.
- Now add in the carrots and fry these for a few minutes.
- Next add in the pepper and fry for a further few minutes or until everything starts to soften.
- Add in the quinoa and fry for another minute.
- Remove the leaves from the rosemary by pulling down on the stalks.
- Spinkle over the dried mixed herbs and add in the rosemary leaves and stir in for another minute.
- Then pour over the bone broth or chicken stock.
- Pour enough stock to cover the quinoa and then about 2 centimetres above that.
- Turn the heat back up and bring all the ingredients to the boil.
- Add in salt and pepper to your tastes.
- When the ingredients are at boiling point, turn the heat down and leave to simmer on a low heat.
- Next add in the spinach and stir in with the risotto until it wilts down.
- Once all the liquid has disappeared from the pan, serve into the bowl and put the meatballs on top of the quinoa.
- Then serve and enjoy.
Spicy Beef Meatballs on a Herby Quinoa Risotto was a hit with my husband Howard and son Ted. They really enjoyed this meal and so did I. The best part about this meal is the meatballs could be made in advance and stored in the freezer. Then all you have to do is defrost them and cook them with the risotto. Personally I wouldn’t freeze this meal after it’s been cooked but it does make yummy leftovers. However you decide to eat this meal, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 