When I was in Algeria, a huge country on the Mediterranean Sea where my husband is from, for two weeks in April 2013, his family made me feel at home because they made food that fit with my real food eating plan. The dishes were so good that it inspired us to write a Mediterranean Cookbook based on his family recipes combined with his experience as a San Francisco Chef for 10 years. We wanted the recipes to reflect the foods that we both started eating after I went gluten free and Paleo to heal from Hashimoto’s in 2010.
It seemed like every mouthwatering dish was so simple, spiced and seasoned with just cumin or cinnamon and salt and pepper. Siva, Nabil’s youngest sister, made this wonderful meatball and cauliflower dish for me because she knew I would like it. It is such an easy weeknight dinner because it is all in one pot and ready in less than 30 minutes. It can be made into an AIP version (112 AIP freindly recipes in our book) with the modifications at the end. It also is naturally low carb but full of flavor!
Easy Paleo Meatball Recipe: Siva’s Cauliflower and Meatballs from Mediterranean Paleo Cooking
prep time: 10 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes | serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
fine sea salt and ground black pepper
1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon butter, ghee, or coconut oil
1 cup diced white onion
4 cups homemade Beef Broth or use this one
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 medium turnips, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise into strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions:
Place the ground beef in a large bowl with the cinnamon and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and set on a plate.
Chop the cauliflower into florets. Boil the cauliflower for 5 to 7 minutes, until it is partially cooked, then drain and set aside.
Melt the fat in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Season the onion with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the broth and tomato paste to the pot and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Drop the meatballs into the sauce and cook them for 5 minutes.
Add the turnips and carrots to the sauce and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 7 minutes.
Add the cauliflower florets and let them simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls and top with the cilantro. Enjoy!
Special Modifications: (these provided for every recipe in our book)
| nut-free | Yes |
| egg-free | Yes |
| low fodmap | Omit the onion. Use garlic-infused olive oil as the cooking fat. |
| AIP-friendly | Use 1/2 cup canned pumpkin in place of the tomato paste. |
| SCD/GAPS | Yes |
| lower carb | Yes |
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