Ever since childhood I have been a huge fan of rissoles and meatballs. They really are so versatile. You can pop them on a healthy wrap or mountain bread with loads of salad, devour them on their own as a high protein snack or make a main meal out of them with vegetables and chutney.
Many people ask me “but what about a Burger roll or a sandwich?” Good question. As my clients know too well, I am not a fan of carbohydrates being the main event of any plate at any time. In my opinion, it is not ideal for balanced blood sugar levels, for weight management or for managing energy levels strategically. One piece of bread maximum at a time is my mantra for most people and if possible, put your protein and greens in a wrap or on a beautiful salad.
Sadly, many meatball recipes are full of breadcrumbs and bottled sauces with copious amounts of hidden sugar which can quickly turn a healthy meatball or rissole into a less desirable food choice.
When created with healthy ingredients however, rissoles can be an excellent choice for a meal or a snack. They are also a sensational way to hide vegetables from those in your family who don’t love the humble carrot or zucchini as an example.
My favourite thing about this recipe is that it is simple and quick to prepare plus they freeze incredibly well for another meal. I am a member of a very time poor family as I am sure you are and simply do not have hours to prepare dinner. I am sure this is a familiar story for many of you. I need quick, healthy options at my fingertips on a weeknight.
Before I go on to the ingredients for this recipe, I need to remind you that it is important that you buy organic, or grass fed meat and a lean mince.
I also use ingredients with minimal additives where I can, and substitute processed bottled sauces as much as possible with less processed, fresh, or more natural ingredients. Bottled sauces I do use have minimal ingredients or additives and are not full of added sugar. Keep an eye on those ingredients.
I also love to grate onion and carrot for this recipe as this keeps them juicy. Grated onion also means you don’t end up with raw pieces of onion and the carrot adds a lovely sweetness.
This recipe makes 24 small rissoles so that I can freeze for future meals.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo of organic, grass fed beef or lamb mince
- 2 heaped teaspoons of curry powder
- ½ teaspoon of garam masala
- ½ teaspoon of mustard powder
- 1 heaped teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- ⅓ teaspoon of coriander powder
- ¼ cup of coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Sambal oelek (chilli paste gluten free brand)
- 2 teaspoons of maple syrup
- 1 grated onion
- 1 cup of finely grated carrot (optional)
- Coconut or Olive oil spray
Instructions
Pre heat your oven to 200° Celsius fan forced.
Place baking paper on a large baking tray and spray with coconut or olive oil spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. I use washed hands to really mix ingredients well.
Scoop up and roll mix into little rissoles so that this mix makes approximately 24.
Place rissoles on baking tray; you may need to cook 12 at a time and then put the next batch in.
Bake in the oven until cooked, approximately 30 – 40 minutes, depending on the size.
Once they have browned, they are pretty much ready.
Enjoy!
