Quinoa Meatball Tagine

Laura Hemmington

All of the flavours and textures of a spiced, fragrant tagine with the benefits of nutritious quinoa, herbs and seeds.

A simple, healthy, whole food recipe, ready in under and hour!

· 100g quinoa, rinsed and drained.
· 1 tin chickpeas (400g / drained weight 240g), rinsed
· 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
· 12 dried apricots
· 1 tsp maple syrup
· 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seeds, 3 tbsp water)
· 1 heaped tsp each cinnamon, coriander, cumin, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, turmeric
· 2 tsp olive oil
· 1 red onion, chopped
· 6 cloves garlic, chopped
· 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
· 1 tsp good soy sauce
· 1 tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar
· Handful fresh corianader leaves
· Juice of ½ lemon
· Optional garnish: fresh oregano leaves

Serves 2.

Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

After rinsing, place the quinoa in a saucepan with 200ml water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer until the water has evaporated (about 12-15 minutes). Leave covered for another 5 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the flax egg by combining the ground flax seeds and water in a small bowl and placing in the fridge.

Next, put all of the ground spices into a pan and heat, moderately, on the hob for a few minutes until you can smell the aromas. Give the spices a stir to ensure even toasting and remove from the heat.

Place the chickpeas, half of the pumpkin seeds, half of the apricots, the maple syrup, flax egg and half of the toasted spices in a food processor. Pulse until well combined, into a paste. I like to have a few of the chickpeas left whole, but if you want a completely smooth texture, keep pulsing until this happens.

Line a flat baking tray with foil and oil the surface with 1 tsp of the olive oil.

Make the meatballs by rolling a teaspoon amount of the mixture in your hands, placing each one on the tray. Make sure to wash your hands immediately after, to prevent orange staining!

While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce – Add the second tsp of olive oil to the pan that still has half of the toasted spices in it. Heat moderately, then add the chopped onion and garlic. Once softened, add the tinned tomatoes, stirring well. Add the soy sauce and vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into the food processor (no need to rinse from making the meatballs) and blitz until smooth. Pour back into the pan to reduce further.

Add the remaining pumpkin seeds and apricots (chopped), the coriander and lemon juice. Keep on a low heat until you’re ready to serve.

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