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
- 1/2 tsp EACH ground cumin, salt and pepper
- 2 cups each shredded purple and green cabbage
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 1/2 cup shaved red onion
- 1/4 cup EACH finely chopped parsley and fresh mint
- Meatballs:
- 1 cup no salt added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 onion, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp each ground cumin and coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 lb (500 g) extra lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 3 whole-wheat pita pockets, toasted
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.
- Arrange meatballs on a greased foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F (71°C) when inserted into center of meatball. Serve with slaw and toasted pita.
Notes
• Serve with tomato and cucumber slices for a bright and fresh compliment to the meatballs.
• 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!