13 January 2022

CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH PEAS AND ASPARAGUS

This recipe from The CSIRO Gut Care Guide is high in fibre and also contains resistant starch – a dietary fibre which resists digestion in the small intestine and thereby passes through to the large intestine, where it ferments and creates bowel-protective by-products.

  • 2 bunches spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (155 g) frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
  • finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed
  • 3 zucchini, halved lengthways and sliced into 1 cm thick half moons
  • mint and flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Chicken meatballs

  • 800 g lean minced chicken
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • ½ cup (55 g) almond meal
  • ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. To make the chicken meatballs, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands until well combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up.

2. Meanwhile, place the spring onions, peas, sumac, capers, lemon zest and juice and mustard in a saucepan, along with 3 tablespoons water and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, over medium–low heat for 2–3 minutes until the spring onion has wilted and the peas have thawed. Remove from the heat. (If you cook them for any longer the peas will start to turn grey, and you want them nice and green.)

3. Form the chicken mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat, add the meatballs and cook, turning regularly, for 4 minutes or until browned all over. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove and keep warm.

5. Add the asparagus and zucchini to the same pan (no need to clean it first), still over medium heat. Toss to coat in the residual oil, then add 2 tablespoons water and cover with a lid. Allow to steam for 1–2 minutes until just tender, regularly shaking the pan to move the veggies around.

6. Divide all the veggies and meatballs among four plates and serve scattered with the mint and parsley.

 

10g total fibre
*** fibre rating
contains resistant starch

Wholegrain high-fibre breads, cereals and legumes 0
Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu and legumes 2
Fruit 0
Vegetables 4
Dairy 0
Healthy fats and oils 4

This recipe is from The CSIRO Gut Care Guide by Michael Conlon, Pennie Taylor, Dr Cuong D Tran and Megan Rebuli, Published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $39.99, Photography by Rob Palmer.

This recipe has been shared with permission of CSIRO and Macmillan Australia.