Name: Beef and Quinoa Meatballs
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 aubergine/eggplant, finely diced; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; pasta or couscous, to serve; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 long red chilli, finely chopped; 1 tsp paprika; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 tbsp black olive tapenade; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 large handful of chopped basil, plus extra leaves to serve; 1 tsp caster/granulated sugar; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp tomato purée/paste; 400 g/14 oz/scant 1⅔ cups canned chopped tomatoes; 250 ml/9 fl oz/1 cup red wine; 250 g/9 oz lean minced/ground beef; 250 g/9 oz cooked and cooled quinoa; 3 tbsp chia seeds

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 20

Appears in

In the Mood for Healthy Food

By Jo Pratt

Published 2015

About

Forget the spag bol for once and opt for something a bit different. These meatballs are full of flavour and goodness due to the addition of quinoa, which makes them light in comparison to all beef (and lower in saturated fat) and not too filling. I’ve also added chia seeds into the mix, which act as a binding agent to the meatballs, giving them an even healthier boost. Serve with pasta (whole-wheat is great), couscous or some oven-baked potato wedges.