Servings: 4
Protein: 14g
Calories: 599
Ingredients
Quinoa Meatballs
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup fresh herbs like cilantro, mint and dill, chopped
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled into chunks (optional)
- salt and pepper
Coconut Yogurt Sauce
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced (about 2 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 inch ginger root, grated (2 heaping tablespoons)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 cups light coconut milk, preferably from carton
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 1 small plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 large bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cups fresh herbs, chopped like cilantro, mint, dill
- 2 cups cooked brown or basmati rice
Instructions
Prepare the Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 2 eggs well. Zest both lemons. Add the riced cauliflower, cooked quinoa, zest and juice from one of the lemon, plus all remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl. Save the other lemon for the sauce. Mix well, pack down into the bottom of the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Use a large spoon and your hands to form meatballs. I like them to be about 3", bigger than a golfball but smaller than a tennis ball. Be delicate but make sure they are well formed. Place on a non-stick baking sheet. You should have 12-15 meatballs. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Coconut Yogurt Sauce
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute another minute. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Add the vegetable stock first to deglaze and scrape up any spices. Once combined, add coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add heavy cream and continue to simmer about 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken slightly. Reduce heat to medium. Add juice of the remaining lemon. Whisk in the yogurt until thoroughly incorporated.
- Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce. Shimmy the pan around so they get fully coated. Simmer for 5 minutes on med heat. Add sliced bell pepper to the sauce. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over cooked brown or basmati rice. Sprinkle with a generous handful of chopped cilantro, mint and dill and a splash of lime juice. Each serving has about 1/2 cup rice and 3-4 meatballs.
Notes
This is my summer version of a phenomenal recipe originally created by "May I Have That Recipe's" blog.
The winter version is Baked Cauliflower Quinoa Meatballs in Coconut Turmeric Sauce.
This version uses the same basic baked meatball, but it's freshened up with ricotta and lemon. The sauce is a tangy coconut lemon cream that uses Greek yogurt.
Don't skimp on the fresh herbs. That is a key part of making this a summery fresh dish!
Nutrition
Serving: 3meatballs | Calories: 599Cal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1187IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4mg
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