Santa Fe Meatballs

This recipe is from the book Quinoa 365 with a few modifications. They’re great for tapas, served with rice and tajadas, or simply used as filling for a tasty sandwich!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa
500 grams ground beef
6 slices of bacon, previously chopped and cooked in a pan until crispy
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
In a small saucepan place the water and quinoa (previously rinsed), bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to minimum. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest for another 5 minutes, uncover and fluff with a fork, set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a bowl combine the ground beef, cooked quinoa , cooked bacon pieces, onion, cilantro, eggs, garlic, cumin and salt, mix well with your hands until all ingredients are well incorporated. Then form small balls and place on a baking pan previously lined with parchment paper and into the oven for about 10 minutes. Turn the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes, until they are well cooked (not pink inside, I left them in the oven after I turned it off for a few more minutes). When serving you can drizzle with some fresh lime juice.