image1When I sit down to a meal, I have five goals:

1. Sensory pleasure and satisfaction.
2. Satiation – aka, it’s gotta fill me up.
3. Blood sugar stabilization. No crazy spikes and dips. Protein + fat + complex carbs, please and thank you.
4. Energy. Food shouldn’t make you tired.
5. Efficiency (sometimes). I never want to rush a meal, but I don’t always have time to cook or go out for 4-course meals. Most of the time, I want to cook healthy, simple, delicious meals, then have the time to savor them, rather than spending hours in the kitchen. The rest of time, I do want to spend hours in the kitchen with a glass of red wine. Cheerio.

Today, I have a recipe that fits the bill for me: Bulletproof Italian Meatballs.

These are gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, bulletproof, and grain-free.

What’s your perfect meal?

Will you try this recipe?

If you do, leave a comment below and let me know how it goes.

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Bulletproof Italian Meatballs

Ingredients
Serves 6-8

1 pound grass-fed ground beef
½ pound grass-fed ground lamb
1.5 cups almond meal
1 pastured egg
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon black pepper, or to taste
Olive oil, for cooking

For serving

Steamed royal red quinoa
Favorite tomato sauce
Fresh basil
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Chili flakes, to taste

Method

Add beef and lamb to large bowl. Bring large cast iron skillet to medium heat. Toast almond meal for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add to main bowl with meat.

Beat egg in separate bowl then add to main bowl. Add Italian seasoning, basil, sage, salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly with clean or gloved hands. Form meat into 1-inch diameter balls and set on tray or plate.

Drizzle large cast iron skillet liberally with olive oil, about 3-5 tablespoons. Bring to medium-high heat. Place meatballs in pan with a little bit of space in between each one.

Cook for 5 minutes on first side, or until golden-brown crust forms. Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes, or to preferred temperature. Best served medium rare or medium.

I like to serve these over sautéed quinoa with caramelized shallots, topped with homemade tomato sauce, fresh basil, cracked black pepper and chili flakes. They would also be great over spaghetti squash or regular pasta.

Enjoy!