Parmesan Chicken Balls & Green Sauce is how I sell this fun green dish to those that have no commitment to vegetables. It’s a bit like Green Eggs and Ham, only better. It’s How to disguise a vegetable.
You really should eat some vegetables or fruit today Skater (now wanting to be known as Jay- he doesn’t skate much anymore), is something I say most days. I had a bit of lettuce on my Schnitzel sandwich is most often the answer I get back. He, (like others, I suspect), consider tomato sauce to be a vegetable.
I know how to disguise a vegetable in cooking, and though I dont think I really should have to, the reality of it continues. Its mostly not hard for example, after the fourth time I presented cauliflower fried rice, he asked if there was something different about the fried rice I was making. That’s 4 bowls of cauliflower invested in his body building.
Recently I was disguising some vegetables and I came up with this recipe and this became how to disguise a vegetable with Parmesan Chicken Balls & Green Sauce. I have made these chicken and parmesan balls here before. Why learn a skill if you are not going to repeat it I say, especially when it is quick and easy. We always have a big lump of parmesan in the fridge. It is lower in fat than other cheese and it goes with anything, and into everything.
Parmesan Chicken Balls a little bit like Dr Seuss
The Green Sauce is made using my vitamix blender and when I don’t use that I use the stick blender. Easier and less washing up that way. I’ve used rice but it is even better with couscous or even quinoa or fregola which we love because it soaks up lots of sauce and just makes the most delicious substitute for pasta when that’s all he likes.
Watch the video. It’s easy.
Promise the family will love this. It’s just like Green eggs and ham………………
Parmesan Chicken Balls & Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 gm chicken mince / ground chicken
- 60 gm Parmesan cheese grated
- 50 gm breadcrumbs preferably fresh or panko
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 100 gm carrot rough but fine cut
- 100 gm celery rough but fine cut
- 150 gm onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 40 ml olive oil 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 500 ml chicken stock (2 cups salt reduced or home made)
- 100 gm frozen spinach
- 50 gm grated parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Put the mince, thyme, crumbs and parmesan into a bowl and add the salt and egg. Mix very well with your hands ( wear gloves if you like)
- When well combined shape the mixture into walnut sized balls putting onto a tray. plate. Makes about 24- 28 balls. Put into the fridge till you make the sauce.
- Heat a wide bottomed pot with sides, add the oil and the vegetables including the garlic and thyme and sweat gently till they are starting to get softish. Add the 2 cups of stock and let it simmer on low for about 5- 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft . Add the spinach and stir the using a stick blender ( or transfer to a blender) and puree the sauce till smooth.
- Turn down to a lower heat and add the chicken balls. Let them just come to the bowl and gently stir or move the meatballs around. Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the Meatballs and test one ( these will be done by now and the sauce should be simmering). This should take about 10 minutes till they are cooked.
- Taste your sauce, to see if it needs any more salt or pepper.
- If your rice or fregola isn't ready put a lid on a let it sit for a few minutes.
Related Posts:
- Chicken and Parmesan Meatballs with White beans and Spinach
- Fregola Sarda with Braised Chicken
- Salmon and Quinoa Cakes with Sweet and Sour vegetables
- Barley Risotto with Balsamic Mushrooms
Love the veggies u have hidden in these! And you have them packed full of flavour too which I think is so so important for a meatball, Great recipe!
I love parmesan anything and these balls look amazeballs! My husband has an aversion to any food that is green, but on the plus side, I can veggie smuggle like a boss!
Ha yes. One must learn these things
Love a hidden vege recipe! Sometimes you just have to hide them to save the fight for one night 😉
Yes that is correct
I love how you never give up on sneaking veggies into Skater’s food even though he’s all grown up 🙂 It doesn’t really matter – whatever works, works! I’m a sucker for a meatball and spinach so there would be no sneaking around for me 🙂
ha thanks Nancy me too. In fact anything with spinach suits me
OMG,
What a fantastic meal!
The recipe looks so good!!!
I am sure that what skater doesn’t know wont hurt him… I know I would love the fried rice recipe too. YUM!
I really need to try cauliflower rice…if the hubby doesn’t like it, I will be happy to eat his share! Your meatballs look tempting, too.
To begin, Tania, I think these meatballs and the way you’ve served them to be fantastic. I, also think you, like so many Moms & Mums, deserve a medal for your camouflage work in the kitchen. What you all won’t do to try to get your kids to eat balanced meals!
Sounds delicious Tania! It’s so funny but my kids don’t have a problem with eating veggies- it’s my husband! X
If Skater has grown up with your gorgeous cooking, I don’t think you need to worry. You’ve trained those tastebuds right, and they will soon come to their senses. In the meantime, I think your green sauce sounds fabulous – it’s amazing what the mind will ‘taste’ if the food looks different to its natural state 🙂
My sister loathes vegetables whereas I love them. I’m not sure why that is as we were brought up with the same meals. I’d say different personalities and taste buds mean that we like different things! 😀
My husband used to hate vegetables, but recently he seems quite willing to try them. He even ate cauliflower tortilla, not his favourite, but he finished all of them I put on his dinner plate. Today I put a whole bunch of radish greens in his chilli con carne…well, he didn’t say anything…:-) I bet he will enjoy those chicken balls mixed with veggies too.
Looks and sounds delicious, like all your cooking Tania! Lucky Skater doesn’t know how good he really has it…tasty food that’s good for him as well! 🙂
Sorry ~ why should beautifully delicious vegetables be ‘disguised’? I am absolutely at sea with that concept. My parents certainly did not: 5-9 vegetables were simply part of my day: never thought of the natural composition, just delightedly grabbed at the plate! My children would never have thought to think otherwise: everything from broccoli to eggplant went ‘down the hatch’ with a ‘yum’ comment – I guess the Chinese greens and snowpeas and spinach raw and zucchini were the faves! Why, I certainly do not understand the message! Why single out vegetables if they have been appetizingly cooked?
Well you may ask Eha because my child practically grew up in a restaurant at the mainy jobs I have had. He has been subject to testing of all recipes and all that goes with it in every other job I have had. He has travelled overseas many times and has eaten at every restaurant you could name but still, he dislikes vegetables. Go figure? So disguise I will along with half of Australia I imagine
The glory of ‘to each their own’ I guess! [big and honest smile!]
My husband is like that – he generally gets only the vegetables I give him at dinner, and so dinners that pack a lot are good! This looks like a great way to disguise them 🙂
I’m okay with green eggs and ham, yes, Sam, I am. But green chicken, sir? That I’m not so sure. 🙂
I agree we shouldn’t have to hide vegetables for our children or partners who won’t eat enough of them but we all do it. I like fregola too. This would go down well at my house. Even if it IS green.
Thanks Maureen
I’m sure that with all the cooking you do that Skater eats extremely well. But yes, all teens need to be reminded of the ‘other’ food groups. I love the look of this family meal. It does look very yummy and it’s excellent how you’ve managed to disguise so many vegetables xx