The Hands of Thyme

GAPS DIET | GLUTEN FREE

Cook Time 25 minutes | Prep Time 20 Minutes | Serves 4

Chicken mince might not sound all that healthy but if you buy good quality organic chicken mince from your local butcher it’s probably not going to be overly fatty and it will certainly be packed full of nutrients.

Holistic cooking tip – a lot of people are put off buying organic meat because of the price difference but if you consider the fact that organic and grass-fed meat actually contains around 50% more nutrients than the other stuff then it’s actually excellent value. Plus I imagine since the animals are well fed and not pumped full of hormones then they are probably getting a better quality of life on the organic farms which makes me feel better about buying it.

Meatballs are traditionally slow-cooked in a sauce which does give them a nice juicy texture and rich flavor but I found they were still very tasty this way. I cooked mine on the stovetop but they would probably be great barbecued as well.

To learn more about the health benefits of organic chicken, check out my Superfoods Bible.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

500g organic chicken mince

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs or grated colby cheese for GAPS diet

2 teaspoons of Mexican seasoning

For the salad:

1 can of pinto beans (or mixed beans if you are not on the GAPS diet)

• Ideally use dried beans and soak them the night before if you don’t mind going to the extra effort

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

1/2 lime, juice and zest and the other 1/2 for garnish

1 teaspoon of honey

1 garlic clove crushed or finely chopped

And vegetables:

A pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 large red capsicum sliced

1 ripe avocado

1/2 a buttercup pumpkin, diced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 356°F.
2. In a medium bowl mix together all of the meatball ingredients and roll into small balls about about the size of chicken nuggets.
3. The meatballs I cooked in the photo were fried but I found it was very tricky to get them to cook evenly and so Instead I would suggest to cook them in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Cook them in a shallow dish or on a tray to make room for the pumpkin in the oven. If frying also cook for around 25 minutes but be sure to check they are cooked in the middle before eating and you will need to keep turning them a lot so they do not burn.
4. Then grease a large baking dish with a little olive oil, ad the pumpkin, paprika and chilli flakes. Season with a little salt, toss and bake for 25 minutes or until soft, turning once so the pumpkin doesn’t stick to the dish. they should be ready at the same time as the meatballs
5. In a large frying pan heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook the capsicum with a little salt and pepper to taste. When done turn off the heat and leave in the pan while the meatballs and pumpkin finish cooking.
6. While that is all cooking make a dressing for your bean salad by mixing together in a small bowl the greek yoghurt, lime juice and zest, honey and garlic. Mix this in with the beans and set aside.
7. Once everything is ready serve it up in a bowl with a dollop of smashed avocado in the middle and a lime wedge on the side.

FOLLOW THE HANDS OF THYME 🌿