Description
Ground beef and smashed kidney beans are seasoned with warm spices and formed into delicious meatballs packed with protein and fibre – perfect for make-ahead lunches and quick weeknight dinners. Use white kidney beans if you don’t want the kids to spot them.
Ingredients
Slaw
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp EACH lemon juice and red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp EACH Dijon mustard and liquid honey
- ½ tsp EACH ground cumin, salt and pepper
- 2 cups EACH shredded purple and green cabbage
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- ½ cup shaved red onion
- ¼ cup EACH finely chopped parsley and fresh mint
Meatballs
- 1 cup no salt added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 eggs
- ½ onion, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp EACH ground cumin and coriander
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 lb (500 g) extra lean ground beef
- ¼ cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp EACH salt and pepper
- 3 whole-wheat pita pockets, toasted
Whole Wheat Flatbread
Recipe courtesy of Good in Every Grain – goodineverygrain.ca
- 2¼ tsp of dry active yeast
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup all–purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3/4 cups warm water
Instructions
Slaw:
In a large bowl, whisk oil with lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Add cabbage, carrot and onion; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and mint.
Meatballs:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large bowl, mash kidney beans with a potato masher until just thoroughly mashed. Add eggs, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander and cinnamon; stir to combine. Add beef, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Gently mix well. Form into 24 meatballs.
Whole Wheat Flatbreads:
Combine the warm water and sugar in a bowl. Stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let that become foamy (approximately 5-6 minutes). While that is foaming, combine flours and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour foamy, yeast water mixture into flour mixture. Stir until a dough ball forms. Knead for 3-4 minutes or until smooth and stiff. Add flour to prevent sticking. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen cloth and allow to rise (1-1.5 hours). Divide dough into small balls. On a floured surface, roll balls out until flat or 1/4 inch think – you don’t want them super think or they wont cook properly! Cook in a hot skillet with a little oil for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Notes
Serve with tomato and cucumber slices for a bright and fresh complement to the meatballs. Or, serve with a dollop of assorted dips such as hummus, baba ghanoush or tzatziki. Replace cabbage and shredded carrot with a bagged coleslaw blend. Substitute kidney beans with black beans, navy beans or chickpeas. Trying to sneak the beans in? Use white beans and mash until very smooth – even the pickiest of eaters will never notice!
To top the flatbread:
Here’s the fun trick, you can top your flatbread with any number of ingredients or combinations of fruit, vegetables, sauces, cheeses and meats! Think of it as a gourmet pizza and add what you and your family want! Some of our favourite toppings combos are:
• Portobello mushrooms, one shallot, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, pesto sauce, fresh spinach and crumbled ground beef.
• Ground beef, chopped onion and dill pickles and cheddar cheese with a drizzle of mustard and/or ketchup for a classy cheeseburger flatbread appetizer.
• Thinly sliced steak, whiskey caramelized onions and horseradish aioli
After topping your flatbread, simply place flatbread on a baking sheet, bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 400°C and broil until cheese (if applicable) is melted – this only takes a minute or two so watch carefully so it doesn’t burn!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 457
- Sodium: 863 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.5 g
- Fiber: 8.2 g
- Protein: 30.4 g
Keywords: Moroccan Meatballs, Herbed Slaw, Whole Wheat Flatbreads