Paleo Chicken Meatballs

Who doesn’t love a tasty meatball that’s healthy, delicious and super easy to make?!

Mr 13 just loves all things Italian and pasta when it comes to food. My digestive system however, can only take so much. So I like to mix things up a little and give that authentic look and flavour of a hearty Italian offering, but without compromising my own digestive health.

Meatballs are a great way to play with different ingredient ideas and create something extra special. You can use any type of meat for these, however I do like to use organic chicken.

To add a little extra real food goodness into mine, I like to add all kinds of different things that may not seem obvious at first, but definitely worth a try if you’re looking for new and satisfying ideas for the whole family.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) isn’t actually a grain. It’s a seed and has an amazing nutritional profile.

Quinoa is full of vitamins, fibre and antioxidants. It can lower your cholesterol, plus it’s easy to digest. It’s also gluten free, high in protein and rich in health-supportive fats.

Quinoa is a light and satisfying alternative to many rice and pasta dishes. We love to use it alternatively with Buckwheat as it can be a little carbohydrate heavy.

A general rule for a balanced meal is 25% protein, 25% carbs and 50% healthy fats. But of course we are all bio-individual, so learning by trial and error, and also according to how much energy you require every day, this general equation will alter slightly for each individual.

There’s no real rules when cooking with Quinoa, only that you rinse it before cooking to remove the bitter coating!

Bon appetit!

Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4

Note: Rinse the Quinoa seeds or flakes under running water in a sieve before cooking.

Ingredients:

500g ground chicken
1 cup cooked quinoa OR equivalent quinoa flakes, soaked in boiled water for 10 mins then drained
1/2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 small onion, chopped in half or quarters
2 tablespoons Coconut Aminos Seasoning (or low sodium Soy Sauce)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small chili, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium egg
1 x 500g jar tomato (pasta) sauce (without oil) OR fresh/roasted tomatoes, pureed (equals just over 2 cups)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In the large bowl of a food processor (using the S/Quad Blade if you have one), pulse together then process the first 11 ingredients (ground chicken down to the egg). With a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out the mixture onto a large tray lined with baking paper. You can roll if you want.

Bake the meatballs in the oven for 15 minutes. Transfer to a deep casserole dish and pour over the tomato sauce, then sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese. Return the meatballs to the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes more, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit 5 minutes before serving. Serve with side salad or vegetables.

Sprinkle chopped nuts, seeds, parsley and additional parmesan over the top if you like.

Enjoy your REAL FOOD FRIDAY recipe!!

Viki xo

About Viki

Viki Thondley is a Mind-Body Wellness Specialist and qualified Holistic Counsellor, Food, Stress & Lifestyle Coach, Meditation Therapist, and Eating Disorder Recovery Coach who inspires women to shift from dieting and restriction to whole-self nourishment, self-care and healing. Recovered from bulimia nervosa and the many years of hormonal imbalances, food prison and self-sabotaging behaviours’, Viki is an inspiring coach, speaker and event host who also provides personalised holistic programs, workshops and retreats to instil self-love, happiness, body confidence and real food freedom. She is author of “Achieving Your Wellness: Create a Life You Love” and “Healthy Chocolate Delights: Real Food Sweet Treats”.

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