I'm not the biggest fan of meat, especially ground beef. I suppose it all stems back to my huge love for animals. Deep down I wish I had the will power to be a vegetarian, but admittedly I don't. Nonetheless I don't particularly eat much red meat, however I am constantly reminded how necessary it is to have just a little for a healthy balanced diet. I have been told I might be anemic on numerous occasions, so every now and again I do make an effort to eat some form of red meat. Needless to say, this usually comes as a relief to my partner who loves his meat.
The first time he invited me over for dinner, I was mortified. We were not even an item then and it was just early days for us. I agreed to go over, without him knowing what a fussy eater I actually am. He served meatloaf. At first I just stared at the plate horrified as I had never eaten meat loaf in my life. However, politely I cleared my plate and although I didn't want to admit it to myself, I actually quite liked it.
Meatloaf is actually one of his favorite dishes, so I do make the effort to prepare this once in a while. I started making this using chicken mince, as for some unknown reason I feel more at ease eating chicken as opposed to beef (recipe to follow soon). However, I came across the below recipe and decided to give it a go. The result was actually quite lovely!
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Ingredients:
- ¼ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup gluten free chicken stock
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 600g lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground rosemary
- 1 tsp ground basil
- ¾ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
Bring the quinoa and stock to the boil in a saucepan over a high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been fully absorbed. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute then remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl add the ground beef, cooked quinoa, onions & garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, egg and egg while, salt, pepper, seasonings and Parmesan cheese. Mix well until combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a lined baking sheet.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until browned. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serving Recommendation: Best served hot with a side of potatoes and roasted vegetables. Leftovers can be used to make sandwiches for lunch the next day.
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