Greek meatballs with quinoa feta pilaf

Ingredients

• 1 lb/454 g ground pork
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oregano
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cumin
• ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh parsley
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• ¼ cup (60 mL) unseasoned breadcrumbs
• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 cup (250 mL) quinoa 
• 2 cups (500mL) reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas, thawed 
• ¼ cup (60 mL) crumbled feta
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, divided (about ¾ cup)
• ½ tsp (2.5 mL) oregano
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 1 large English cucumber, cut into bite sized cubes 
• 4 tomatoes, cut into bite sized cubes 
• 2 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 2 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp (10 mL) oregano
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cook quinoa according to package instructions, using broth instead of water. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork and set aside. 
3. Mix meatball ingredients in a large bowl and shape into 1 to 1.5-inch balls (makes 16 meatballs). Bake for 17-20 minutes, until cooked through and internal temperature reads 160°F. You can broil for the last 30-60 seconds if you like a little browning on the meatballs.
4. Meanwhile, mix thawed peas, crumbled feta, ½ the sliced red onion, oregano, lemon juice and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add quinoa, mix until just combined, and set aside at room temperature.
5. Mix cucumber, tomatoes, remaining red onion, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. 
6. Divide meatballs, quinoa and salad between four plates and serve.

• Cooking for Two: This recipe is great for meal prep! If you are cooking for two, make the whole recipe for the quinoa and meatballs and portion or freeze half for another meal. To prevent waste, make only half the fresh salad to eat now and when you eventually eat the remaining meatballs and quinoa, simply add 2 cups of salad or vegetables of your choice.
• Nutrition know-how: Though technically a seed, quinoa is classified as a whole grain. To make meal prep easy and add fibre to your meals, you can cook extra quinoa and portion into containers or freezer bags for use later. One ½ cup serving cooked quinoa provides 4.5 g protein, 3 g fibre and low glycemic carbohydrate.
• Cooking know-how: If you have a small scoop for cookie making or a small ice cream scoop, it’s a great tool to make even sized meatballs.
• Freeze for later: These meatballs are easy to freeze! Prepare as directed and freeze on a cookie sheet before cooking. Place into a freezer bag or container and freeze. When you are ready, simply remove as many as you want to cook and then thaw and bake as directed. 
• Dress it up: You can add a quick homemade tzatziki if you like by mixing ½ cup 0% Greek yogurt, 1 small, minced garlic clove and ¼ cup shredded cucumber.
• Food safety: When reheating previously cooked and chilled food, be sure to heat to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).