Sometimes eating Paleo just isn't enough.
Health issues from autoimmune diseases to symptoms relating to IBS, “leaky gut,” or even a Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) may require food restrictions beyond a typical Paleo type of diet to help heal and keep the symptoms at bay.
If you aren't familiar with any of the above ailments, the acronyms “AIP” (autoimmune protocol/autoimmune Paleo) or “FODMAP” (fermentable oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polyols) may seem foreign to you.
However, those in the midst of either (or both!) of these eating protocols know that the food limitations can sometimes be quite frustrating, and meals can become bland and boring very quickly.
With this recipe, my hopes were to take two of the most difficult ways of eating into account and give you something full of flavor to enjoy — especially something you can serve to guests and they will love it as well.
Our food limitations don't have to be crippling when it comes to socializing.
Embrace what you can have while you focus on nourishing your body and overall you'll be a much happier person.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground lamb (beef/bison/turkey may be used)
- ¼ cup finely minced green onion (green portions only)
- 2 teaspoons cardamom*
- 2 teaspoons cumin*
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- zest from 2 lemons (~1 tablespoon)
- ¼ cup chives, roughly chopped (1 small bunch)
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped and packed (1 bunch)
- Juice from ½ lemon (~2 tablespoons)
- ½ cup butter or ghee, melted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
For the meatballs: Combine the ground meat, green onions, cardamom, cumin, ginger, salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl and mix your hands until well combined. Form into approximately 25-30 meatballs, about 1-1 ½ inches in diameter each. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the meatballs bake, prepare the sauce: Combine the chives, cilantro, lemon juice and butter/ghee in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
Notes
For a FODMAP-friendly side, zucchini noodles are a delicious option. If FODMAPS are not a concern, this would pair nicely with a simple mashed cauliflower or parsnip mixture or even cauli-rice as the meatballs themselves have a lot of flavor.
Try serving them as appetizers at your next get-together!
* Some people following the Auto-immune Protocol (AIP) may be sensitive to cumin or cardamom, even in small amounts. Please use caution and trust your own experience before using these spices. An appropriate substitute for those following AIP only would be to replace one or both with 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder.