Quinoa cauliflower meatless meatballs Italian style with lots of basil, thyme and anchovy tomato sauce. Topped with oozy melted parmesan cheese. Comfort food at its best minus the meat.
Ingredients for Meatless Meatballs
2 cups cauliflower rice
1 cup cooked quinoa, cold
2 tblspns chopped basil
2 tblspns chopped Italian parsley
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten or 2 linseed eggs (vegan)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (extra to fry meatballs)
Ingredients for Anchovy Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 anchovies, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Combine all the meatball ingredients (except extra olive oil for frying) in a large bowl and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Roll into golf ball size balls and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium to low heat. Add anchovies, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, stir for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Heat extra olive oil in a seperate pan, add meatballs and fry over medium heat, 2-3 minutes per side. Turn gently to brown. Transfer meatballs to an oven dish, top with tomato sauce and parmesan and grill under high heat until melted and browned. Serve with extra cooked quinoa or pasta.
