I am constantly trying to get more vegetables into my kids. It is NOT an easy job. Charley has a super sensitive gag and vomit reflex and Xavier isn’t old enough to have a conversation about why he needs vegetables. He also isn’t old enough to understand bribes either…and I’m only half kidding. I get tired of the constant battles over vegetables and fruit and so sometimes I resort to hiding vegetables in food that I know they will eat with minimal complaints. It’s not solving any problems BUT it’s better than nothing and we are doing the best we can. I threw these together with some veggies I had in the fridge and they gobbled them down. Husband gave the thumps up sign as well so I thought I’d better share the recipe!
Ingredients:
-2 lbs grass fed ground beef
-3/4 cup of finely chopped kale
-3/4 cup of grated cauliflower (use a cheese grater or food processor to grate until it is the size of grains of rice)
-2-3 cloves of garlic
-1 egg (This can be skipped if you are allergic to eggs but it does help hold the mixture together.)
-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1.5 tsp dried basil
-1.5 tsp dried oregano
-1.5 tsp dried parsley
-1 tsp dried rosemary
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper
Note: I often buy this Freeze Dried Italian Herb Blend from my local grocery store when I’m in a rush and use it instead of combining all of the above herbs together. The flavour is fantastic! I also like to use the Freeze Dried Poultry Herb Blend for roasting whole chickens.
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. It is best to do this with your hands to get the ground beef and vegetables mixed really well and sticky together.
3) Roll into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter and place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil or parchment paper. You will need to really squeeze these meatballs with your hands to make sure the vegetables and meat stick together. Depending on your beef, you may need to add another egg to help with the sticking.
4) Bake for 20-25 minutes and then remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
My children ate theirs alongside some almonds, carrots, and raw cheese. My husband and I enjoyed ours with some steamed broccoli, roasted mushrooms and roasted yams. I wish I had doubled the recipe to have enough to freeze for emergency snacks, but they were too yummy and we gobbled the leftovers up for breakfast this morning.
Enjoy!
Wellness With Joanna 