Il Cucinologo
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Quinoa Meatballs

17/11/2023

I can provide you with a recipe for quinoa meatballs that will be a tasty and healthy dish. If you want to try a variant with an Italian touch, we could add grated Parmesan to enrich the flavor, but let’s proceed step by step.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of raw quinoa
  • 2 cups of water to cook the quinoa
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 zucchini, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs or panko
  • 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Aromatic herbs of your choice (such as parsley or basil), chopped
  • Olive oil for cooking

Preparation

  1. Rinse the quinoa well under running water to remove the saponin, that thin layer that can give a bitter taste.

  2. In a small pot, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil and add the quinoa. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and let it cook for about 15 minutes, or until the water has been completely absorbed. Let the cooked quinoa cool.

  3. In a skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until they are soft and translucent. Add the grated carrot and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes. Let the vegetable sauté cool.

  4. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, the vegetable sauté, the beaten eggs, the breadcrumbs, the grated Parmesan (if you decide to use it), the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well until the mixture is homogeneous.

  5. Preheat the oven to 190 °C and prepare a baking tray by lining it with parchment paper.

  6. Shape the meatballs to the desired size using wet hands to prevent the mixture from sticking, and place them on the prepared tray.

  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until the meatballs are lightly golden and crispy on the outside.

Serve the quinoa meatballs hot, perhaps with a side of vegetables or a light tomato sauce.

Trivia

Quinoa is not technically a cereal, but a “pseudo-cereal” rich in protein and gluten-free. Native to the Andes, it has been part of the local diet for thousands of years and was called “mother grain” by the Incas. It is very versatile in the kitchen and lends itself well to vegetarian and vegan dishes.

If you have any preferences or dietary restrictions, let me know so I can adapt the recipe for you!