BEEF MEATBALLS with TABOULI

Tabouli is one of my favourite salads. My mother used to make it once a week when I was growing up and hers was always so fresh and zesty. She always chopped the parsley so incredibly fine and exuded such patience, which is something I am not good at. This is Michelle Bridges’ version of tabouli with meatballs. She uses 420g lamb mince, which works out to equal 350g beef mince in calories. Yes this recipe makes more meatballs using lamb mince, however friends of mine will know that I do not eat lamb, hence the swap. I changed some of the spices around and added sumac, a delicious Mediterranean spice that works beautifully with tomato. Baby spinach gives the tabouli some extra greenery.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw quinoa (67g) 
• 350g beef mince 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (2g)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (1g)
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 2-3 tomatoes (334g), finely chopped
• 1 lebanese or a small continental cucumber (135g), finely chopped
• 30g baby spinach, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 green shallot (15g), finely chopped
• 2/3 cups fresh parsley (25g), roughly chopped
• the juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest 

Cooking 

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve under cold water twice. Place the quinoa and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and the water is all absorbed. Remove from heat. 

2. Meanwhile, place the mince, garlic and spices in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and pepper and mix with your hands to combine. Mould the mince into small meatballs (it should make between 16-18 meatballs). 

3. Heat a medium to large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Place the meatballs in the pan and cook, rolling the meatballs around frequently to evenly brown every side, for 5-6 minutes or until cooked. 

4. Whilst cooking the meatballs, place the tomatoes, cucumber, spinach, sumac, shallot, green parsley and lemon zest & juice in a large bowl. Toss to combine. 

5. Divide the tabouli into two bowls and top with meatballs. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

Total Calories / 520 per serve 

x Emily