My home has been called a commune, a halfway home, the United Nations.
You see, having four boys who have travelled extensively and studied abroad at one time and who have made friendships there, there is always a friend or a friend-of-a-friend who is in need of shelter or a Shabbat dinner (Friday night dinner) and there is always a dietary requirement … from being a vegan to having an allergy to one thing or another.
This time the allergy is to gluten and tomatoes. In a way it’s good because it challenges my cooking and gets me out of my comfort zone. I have to say that sometimes I just like being in my comfort zone and having my couch free to lounge on…
I looked at Instagram for inspiration and saw a gluten-free recipe for baked meatballs. I liked the idea of baking the meatballs. I used my favourite spices for the meat mixture and even made my own quinoa flour (it took 50seconds to grind the quinoa, I wasn’t going to pay $8 for a small bag of quinoa flour so I could use 2 tablespoons). Prepared in this way, I made delicious baked, gluten-free meatballs. I decided to go with a tasty but not too creamy mushroom sauce served on gluten-free pasta for the guests and wheat pasta for us! It was delicious. You can make these meatballs and serve them with whatever sauce you want. I think they will go with anything.
Ingredients
Gluten-free meatballs
Makes 8 balls
Please note: Keep in mind that if you buy fat-free meat it will be dry, you need some fat in the meat. If you don’t mix meat and milk, just omit the cheese, it will still be very tasty.
500g minced meat (beef)
Small zucchini, grated
Mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 small cubes (optional)
½ tablespoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon all spice
¼ teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese (or any cheese you like)
½ tablespoon honey
2-3 tablespoons quinoa flour
2 ½ tablespoons LSA: grounded linseeds, sunflower seeds and almond meal (optional)
1egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Mushroom sauce If you don’t want dairy in the sauce you can leave out the cream
500g pasta
½ tablespoon oil
1 onion diced
500g white cup mushroom, sliced or diced it’s up to you
A handful of continental parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons cornflour
4 tablespoons water
1½ cups vegetable stock
¼ cup thickened cream
Salt and pepper to taste
This sauce is thick. If you don’t like a thick sauce, adjust the consistency to your liking by reducing the amount of cornflour. You can use, two spoons of cornflour, one, or none it’s up to you.
Method
Gluten-free meatballs
Preheat oven to 180c.
Mix the meatball ingredients together (except for mozzarella cubes) and put in the fridge while you make the sauce.
Once you have finished making the sauce, shape meat mixture into 8 balls.
Press 1 cube mozzarella into the centre of the meatball, sealing meat tightly around cheese. Repeat with the rest of meatballs and cheese.
Place meatballs on a baking tray lined with baking paper, spray with oil and bake in the oven on 180c for approx 20-25min.
Mushroom sauce
Cook pasta and set aside.
In a frying pan, sauté onions in oil over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and cook until semi soft: about 4-5 min.
Add the garlic, salt and pepper and stir for about 1 minute.
Add stock and bring to a boil.
Mix cornflour with 4tablespoons of water in a cup until cornflour dissolves thoroughly then stir into mushroom sauce. Give it a good stir and lower the heat.
Add cream and stir for another minute before turning the heat off.
Sprinkle parsley.
Mix sauce with pasta then place meatballs on top. Yum!
Love,
Nava.
PS - I love hearing from you! Let me know how it went and feel free to spread the word/passion/love, the more the merrier!
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