This recipe is for all the meatball lovers out there who are also following an anti-candida diet! These lamb and buckwheat meatballs are easy to make, full of flavour, and make a great portable snack or weeknight dinner idea.
So, if you are looking for a delicious and easy candida diet friendly dinner recipe, look no further!
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💕 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The ingredients may be simple, but the flavour is far from!
In fact, I make these Lamb and Buckwheat meatballs without any salt added for the sake of my young daughter, and they still taste incredible. And if my picky 2-year-old loves them, then I know you will too!
Another reason to love this recipe is that it makes a great portable, savoury, iron-rich and high-protein snack on the go. To turn them into a quick lunch, it’s as easy as popping a couple of meatballs in a lunchbox with some raw veggies and a dip. There you have it, a healthy packed lunch sorted in a matter of minutes!
These meatballs are also the perfect meal prep meal. Simply make these up in larger batches and freeze them for up to two months. You can freeze them raw or cooked, either option works great. Just be sure to thaw the meatballs fully in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
📋 Key Ingredients
Lamb Mince
Usually made from a variety of different cuts, lamb mince offers a flavoursome base for several dishes. The flavour of lamb can easily handle, and even benefits from the stronger spices used in this recipe.
Buckwheat
Despite the name, the humble buckwheat groat is in fact a seed, so makes a great a naturally gluten-free grain substitute. It has a very mild nutty flavour and has a similar bite and texture to pearl barley.
I love adding buckwheat to my meatballs for two reasons; firstly, it provides an added dose of nutrients and fibre. Secondly, it can make the meat go a little further which is especially helpful if buying organic meat, which is expensive.
Buckwheat makes a great meal prep grain, so you could cook some at the weekend with the intention to add to salads, use as a side, as well as to make into these delicious Lamb and Buckwheat Meatballs.
Flaxseed
That addition of buckwheat means you will need a binding ingredient to hold it all together. I have used flaxseed in this recipe, however, you can easily substitute with egg instead.
🥣 Instructions
Step 1. Prepare Your Buckwheat
The first step is to cook your buckwheat. You can follow your own packet instructions, but usually you will simmer the buckwheat groats in water for 10 minutes, or until tender.
You want to drain the buckwheat well to remove as much excess moisture as possible. This will make the raw meatballs easier to work with. If you’re in a hurry to drain the buckwheat, you could pat it dry with kitchen towel.
Step 1. Assemble and Form Into Balls
Next step is to assemble all the ingredients. Mince the garlic, finely chop the fresh parsley and spring onion, and then add these alongside the spices, flaxseed, and lamb mince.
Using your hands, kneads the meat mixture until fully combined.
Now it’s time to roll our mixture into balls. The quantities stated in this recipe make enough for 16 meatballs. I didn’t find this to be a particularly sticky mix, but if you’re finding the mixture is sticking to your hands too much, you can wet them slightly with tap water before forming each ball.
Step 3. Bake
Once you have all your meatballs, you can lay these out onto a baking tray. My top tip is to line the baking tray with parchment paper or reusable silicone baking mats to make clean up easier.
I would advise using paper or silicone sheets over aluminium foil, however, as cooking with foil is not recommended, particularly on a candida diet, to avoid unnecessary exposure to the aluminium.
Bake your meatballs for 20-25 minutes, or until they are starting to brown, and you can serve immediately.
🥡 Storage
I find lamb is often best enjoyed hot; however, these meatballs can still be enjoyed cold for a quick and convenient meal or snack.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze and use within a couple of months.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Use as the base for a delicious meatball salad. You can keep the meatballs intact, or break them into smaller pieces to combine into the salad. The flavours of these meatballs would pair well with Mediterranean style salads that include ingredients such as roasted peppers, cucumber, red onion and olives.
- Serve with quinoa tabbouleh and a generous serving of dariy-free tofu tzatziki.
Looking for more flavourful dinner ideas? Why not try one of the following:
Coconut Flour Breaded Cod Fillets
Lamb and Buckwheat Meatballs - Easy and Healthy Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g organic lamb mince
- 50 g buckwheat groats approximately 100g cooked buckwheat
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 handful of fresh parsley approximately 4 tablespoon finely chopped
- 2 spring onions scallions
- ⅛ teaspoon salt optional
- Black pepper
Instructions
- First, begin by thoroughly rinsing the buckwheat groats.
- In a saucepan, boil the buckwheat in water for 10 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, drain and rinse and leave to drain in a colander to remove the excess water.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic, fresh parsley and spring onions (scallions).
- Add the lamb and buckwheat plus all of the remaining ingredients including the chopped garlic, parsley and spring onions to a bowl. Knead all of the ingredients together with your hands.
- Once fully combined, roll the lamb mixture into 16 evenly sized balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs at 180°C / 356°F for around 20-25 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the tops of the meatballs have started to brown.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy immediately.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and consume within three days.
Notes
Last step! If you make this recipe, will you do me a huge favour and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review letting me know what you thought? It really helps! Thanks for your support!!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!