AnnaMaria's Healthy Italian Meatballs
Tasty, "low guilt" Italian meatball recipe, using healthy substitutes, keeping the wonderful, richness and taste of the classic recipe.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand Mixer with triangle attachement or large bowl and your hands
- Large frying pan, preferably with at least 3 inch sides
- Baking pan
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 lbs Ground bison
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 cups Baby spinach heaping
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 1¼ cups Einkorn Wheat Bran you may substitute regular wheat or rice bran
- 2 tbsp Flax seeds
- 6 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1¼ tsp Allspice
- 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
Mushroom Gravy:
- 2 cups Sliced mushrooms mix between cremini and shiitake or any strong flavored mushrooms
- 2 tbsp Marsala wine or 3 tbs red wine
- 2 cups Vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp Arrowroot starch
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee ghee is optional and you can also use butter to sauté mushrooms
Instructions
Making the Meatballs:
- In food processor chop baby spinach, parsley and garlic to a fine chop.
- Make egg substitute by mixing ground flaxseed with 3-4 tbsp of water, set aside to thicken for 15 min.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a stand mixer bowl and mix with the triangle attachment until fully mixed. Alternative is to mix in a large bowl with you hands.
- Roll out the meatballs using about a quarter cup of mix for each.
- Place on a pan and store in the refrigerator while you start the gravy.
Mushroom Gravy:
- Place your frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp ghee (or butter), until ghee is melted.
- Add Mushrooms and spread them out to sauté.
- Sprinkle with salt and cook covered for 2 minutes to release water.
- Uncover and keep sautéing until the water is gone and the mushrooms have browned. Put them aside in a bowl.
- Put the rest of olive oil and ghee (or butter) into the pan until ghee is melted, and place all the meatballs to sauté.
- Brown each side and keep turning until most of each meatball has been caramelized on the outside. Then take them out and place them back on the baking pan.
- With the frying pan still on the heat, pour the marsala (or red wine) in and deglaze the pan. Make sure you scrape up all the good flavor stuck on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the mushrooms back in and then add the broth.
- Once everything is at a fast simmer add the meatballs. Cover and simmer, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Make slurry with arrowroot and 6 tbsp water.
- Add the arrowroot slurry slowly while you’re mixing the gravy and stop when the gravy reaches the thickness that you want.
- Salt and pepper to taste, and they are ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Vegan flaxseed "egg substitute" is rich in Omega 3s and Omega 6s, which our body needs, and is the perfect healthy and nutritious option.
Nutrition
Calories: 546kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 33gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 824mgPotassium: 999mgFiber: 9gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1923IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!