Fresh "Brocco Balls" with Salsa Brava
Meatballs or ‘Albondigas’ is one of the most common and traditional dishes in Spain that is served up weekly. We used to always have them on Tuesdays served with some boiled white rice and a freshly picked salad from the garden. I speak for most Spanish families when I say that a sacred recipe would have been handed down by the Abuelas of the family.
‘A tbsp of milk’
‘a handful of breadcrumbs’
‘a mix of pork and beef mince’
The list of secret tips is endless, and I’ve always wondered how much of a difference it actually makes…I wouldn’t have said that to my Grandma of course who stuck by tradition on everything!
Veering just about as far away from tradition as possible, I decided to make some vegetarian ‘meatballs’ seeing as Susana (my daughter) is a vegetarian and I’m making a conscious effort to eat less meat.
This recipe has quickly become a favourite at home and I was apprehensive when I first made them. There’s such a balance of flavours from the cheddar and the garlic that compliments the freshness from the broccoli and parsley. If you’re looking for a healthy veggie alternative this is a must and clocks in at just 40kcal per ‘meatball’!
For a proper finishing touch drizzle a smokey tomato sauce like a ‘salsa brava’ and some finely sliced chilly
Makes 16-18 meatballs
Ingredients
250g broccoli, stalk removed
half an onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
1 egg
25g cheddar cheese
90g breadcrumbs
handful parsley
Method
Add the broccoli to a hob of boiling water and leave for 5 minutes
Drain and let it cool for 5 mins.
Add all the ingredients along with the broccoli to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper
Blitz 4-5 times until you have a wet crumb texture
With a tablespoon scoop some of the mixture and form into a ball and place on a tray. The mixture should make around 18 meatballs
Let them chill in the fridge for 20 minutes
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220C
Bake for 20 minutes till a golden brown crust has formed
Serve and enjoy!
Top tip:
Make sure to not over boil the broccoli. Important that it keeps its vibrant green colour to keep its freshness.