Meatballs with Veggies
This is one of my go-to recipes for making a quick, healthy meal. Meatballs are so versatile and great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can eat them hot or cold with a whole grain, vegetables, or eggs and add all sorts of sauces. I like to make a big batch and freeze half to pull out as I need them for meals or a protein-rich snacks.
I created this recipe in my exploration of how to use the leftover vegetable pulp from juicing carrots, celery, beets, ginger, and cabbage. The flavor profile and moisture content of the meatballs themselves can easily be changed by switching up the types and amounts of vegetables and seasonings that you combine with the meat itself.
Personally, I prefer cooking with fresh herbs like cilantro, thyme, and rosemary that have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, however you could substitute dried herbs for the same flavor and benefits. Just remember you need a much smaller amount of the dried herbs!
This recipe could be made vegetarian using a ground meat substitute like Impossible plant-based burger or another similar brand. You would definitely need the egg yolk for this to help the meatballs hold together.
These meatballs can be boiled or baked in the oven. For moister meatballs, I use my stock pot to boil them. This has the added bonus of not needing to turn on the oven in hot weather.
Need 1 large bowl, 1 large 10 inch x 15 inch oven-safe dish like Pyrex, OR 5-6 quart stock pot & large spoon & large plate, optional-melon baller & plastic gloves
Makes about 25 meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat (grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey) OR plant-based ground meat alternative
2/3 cup mixture of vegetable pulp OR finely chopped or grated vegetables like carrots, beets, celery, cabbage, ginger root (be creative!)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
about 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro loosely packed (3-4 tablespoons dried), or 1/4 cup fresh thyme or rosemary (1.5 tablespoons dried). I combine 2 of these 3 often.
Sea salt to taste (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon)
1 pasture-raised chicken egg
optional - 2 quarts meat or vegetable stock for cooking method 2 (see prior post for recipe)
Directions:
Using your hands, mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl. You can wear plastic gloves if you’d like.
Using either your hands or a melon baller, form the mixture into 1 to 1.5 inch meatballs and line up in oven-safe dish so they are not touching (cooking option 1) or on a plate (cooking option 2).
Cooking option 1 - heat oven to 350℉ and cook 20 to 25 minutes. See * below.
Cooking option 2 - Pour meat or vegetable stock into stock pot and bring to a boil. Using large spoon, gently place meatballs into the stock and lower heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook about 12 to 15 minutes. Use spoon to flip meatballs over halfway through cooking time if not fully submerged. Remove meatballs from stock once done cooking to ensure they are not overcooked.
* Cooking times vary a bit depending on meat used. Ground beef, pork, and lamb cook slightly faster to reach 160℉, whereas ground chicken and turkey need longer to reach 165℉.
Let the meatballs cool down a few minutes before enjoying!
