Dinnertime view from our Vancouver rental on the 33rd floor. A new perspective for the littles and a new appreciation for me for families raising kiddos in a super-city environment.
Sometimes the kiddos will ask for veggie stir fry for dinner.
Sometimes our little girl will beg for a red pepper for a snack.
Sometimes the little guy will demand a salad.
Sometimes.
But they are kids.
I would be lying if I didn’t admit that sometimes getting them to eat veggies is a challenge. Or at least it was a challenge. Until I figured out that they will eat almost any vegetable if it’s inside a meatball.
Broccoli. Carrots. Peppers. Cilantro. Parsley. Kale. Spinach. Bok choy.
If it’s in there, they will eat it.
So when we’ve had “one of those days,” I take whatever veggies I have on hand, chop them fine (use a food processor if you want it super tiny) and toss them in a big glass mixing bowl with a pound of beef, an egg, some bread crumbs (or cooked quinoa), onion and garlic and we’re good to go. Actually, it’s enough meatballs to feed us for two or three meals. So after dinner I freeze the leftovers for crockpot usage at a later date.
See the strange “orange” tint to this photo? It’s not a filter. No. It’s the light in our rental kitchen. SEVENTEEN pictures of one plate later (kids were done eating by the time I took this one), I thought there might be a revolt.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound of ground beef (preferably grassfed organic)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs (a paleo option is 1/2 cup cooked quinoa or 1/4 cup of almond flour)
- 3/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese (could substitute with Parmesan)
- 1/2 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/3 cup broccoli* (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup cilantro* (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt & pepper
*Broccoli and Cilantro can be replaced with carrots, bok choy, red or green peppers, spinach, kale, parsley, green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, etc. Whatever veggies you have handy.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With about a teaspoon of sesame oil (or your favorite cooking oil), lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine egg and bread crumbs. Add the meat, cheese, onion, garlic, veggies, salt & pepper. With clean hands, mix it all together until it’s evenly blended. Form into 2-inch meatballs. Twelve meatballs fit in the pan, so I bake them in two batches. I usually salt the meatballs with a pinch more after they are in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. (If you make smaller meatballs, they won’t need 20 minutes.)
Makes 24 2-inch meatballs.
Serve with pasta or over quinoa or on their own. Slather them in sauce or gravy or leave ‘em plain. And feel happy that the fam is eating their leafy greens!
with love from Vancouver,
J
