Inspiration for this recipe came from wanting to have more meaty snacks for my kids to eat when they are hungry and hanging around the kitchen asking ‘What can I eat?’. This used to result quite often in a 100% carby snack which drives me a bit bonkers when you are trying to provide the little cherubs with a balanced diet of protein, fat as well as all the carbs that we eat in the typical Australian diet. So if they sometimes grab a handful of meatballs instead of the usual carbs, then I feel like I’m winning.
This recipe is so versatile. You can have them solo as a snack but you can also put them in a lettuce leaf wrap with heaps of veggies - I like avo, capsicum, onion and tomato. Or you can cook up a tomato sauce and serve them with zucchini noodles. Or you can put them in a pita bread or flatbread with some homemade tzatziki sauce. I also make them into burger patties for a quick and easy dinner option. And they taste soooo good. My husband is a super fussy meat eater and would never eat beef burgers until I made these creations. Now he’s a convert. So winning on all fronts!
Just a note on the herbs and spices. As always you can mix these up to your own taste. I love this herbie mix as detailed in the recipe but you can do what works well for you and your family. I sometimes add in turmeric and smoky paprika and that works well. I think a fresh chilli would also work if you like a bit of spice.
If you want to get in a bit more veg into your kids (or adults for that matter!) you could try adding in a bit of thinly grated zucchini, carrot, finely chopped onion, or a bit of mashed sweet potato.
Nutrient Profile
This low carb recipe is a great source of Iron, Calcium, Zinc, B6 and B12 as well as a variety of other trace minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. It contains a healthy dose of good fats and protein.
Makes: 60 Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1kg of beef mince or 500g beef/500g pork (or you could switch for other ground meat - lamb, chicken, turkey). My family love 50-50 beef and pork.
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄8 cup - almond flour
- 1⁄4 cup of parmesan cheese
- 1⁄8 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander/cilantro
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 1 tablespoon of mixed italian herbs (eg. basil, sage, thyme, oregano, marjoram)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 clove of garlic
Plus you’ll need 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil (for frying)
Preparation:
- Prep & Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Put it all in a big bowl and combine the ingredients thoroughly. Shape into meatballs and place on a baking tray, or pile into a bowl. Don’t make them too big or they won’t be cooked through the middle. Heat up the coconut oil in the frying pan and brown the meat balls on all sides, constantly turning. Once they are suitably browned you can add them to the sauce of your choice and let them cook further for another 15-20 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Alternatively if you want to be able to store them without sauce (I do this for quick snacking), I add a bit of water or stock to the pan and turn down the heat of the fry pan really low and let the meatballs cook for 5-10 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. You can check they are cooked through by cutting a sample meatball in half.
Alternatively you can shape into burger patties and fry or grill.
#healthysnacks #meatballs #burgers #glutenfree #lowcarb