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Allergies, our kids, and a fabulous allergy-free meal…

A while ago, I wrote a post wondering why so many kids have allergies nowadays.  I was curious because there are so many more kids with allergies than in the past. Apparently, between the years of 1997 and 2002 the rate of peanut allergies DOUBLED. There was a 265 percent increase in rate of hospitalization (doctors checking kids into the ER) related to food allergies.  And, it turns out ,1 out of 17 kids (under 3 years old) now has a food allergy.  These are facts reported by the CDC.

If you or you have a child or a friend with food allergies, or you have a child that you want to keep well, I highly recommend taking 18 minutes to watch this TedX talk on Youtube by Robyn O’Brien who is the founder of Allergy Kids Foundation.  It’s both fascinating and shocking.

And yes, it’s about allergies that your kids may not have, but it’s also about cancers and other diseases that we may be unknowingly putting our families at risk .  Did you know that 1 out of 8 women have breast cancer, and from that, 1 in 10 are due to genetic factors.  That means 9 out of 10 are environmental!!  We may need to think a little more about GMO foods, meats treated with hormones & antibiotics, vegetables treated with insecticides, pesticides, etc.   Times have changed and this is certainly not the food we grew up on!  Okay, enough ranting.  On to a new staple of ours…

So I wanted to make something without tomato sauce (for a change) and that included sun dried tomatoes so we ended up making these Sundried Tomato Basil Meatballs (without the almond flour and could be without eggs) and they were fabulous!

 
 
Here is what you need:
 
  • 2 lbs grass fed ground beef
  • 1 egg (if no allergies)
  • 2 tbsp freshchives, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced (I used half of the TJ’s pre-cut onion, garlic, shallot pack in place of cloves and onion)
  • Β½ cup minced sun dried tomatoes
  • 2 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

First, preheat your oven to 350.  Then, mix all of the ingredients together in a big bowl and shape into golf ball sized (maybe a bit larger) meatballs.

Next, heat a skillet over medium to medium high heat.  Once the pan is hot, spray some coconut oil (if non-stick) and carefully place the meatballs in the pan.  Then, brown the meatballs on all sides.

 
Next, if your skillet is oven safe, cover it with foil and transfer to the oven and cook for an additional 15 or so minutes.  If the skillet is not oven safe, move the meatballs to a large baking dish, cover and cook for a few more minutes until desired temperature.  That’s it!  So quick and so flavorful, and apparently kid-friendly.  Alice “snuck” 3 meatballs after school.  She thought it was so funny. I’m just pleased that my 8 year old, who has become pretty picky lately, loved them!!
 
 
I made 2 lbs worth, thinking these would be great leftovers. Would you believe, even in our small family, that there weren’t any leftovers!! I don’t know whether to be happy, or bummed about that.
 

  • Buttoni - These look amazing! I love the idea of the sun-dried tomato in them and can’t wait to try them!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Thanks Buttoni! I hope you like them. Sundried tomatoes are way under used in my household. This makes me want to use them more for sure!ReplyCancel

  • Amy - “Just Eat Real Food” just posted this on Facebook and I think I may have broken my mouse with house quickly I clicked to get the recipe. It looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it out! This will be a great meal to stock pile in order to pack in my 1 year old’s lunch.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Ha! Too funny Amy!! I hope y’all like them! And yes, what a great lunch or snack to pack. Good idea!ReplyCancel

  • tom spiek - Great food ideas and healthyReplyCancel

  • Carrie - Yum! I love the idea of adding sun dried tomatoes to meatballs. Sounds like such a fabulous addition.ReplyCancel

  • GiGi Eats Celebrities - I make these all the time, I also add diced olives to the mix too! πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Oh I love the idea of adding olives! Thanks Gigi!!ReplyCancel

  • Weekend Link Love - Edition 210 | Mark's Daily Apple - […] Sun-dried tomato meatballs, kid-approved. […]ReplyCancel

  • Heather - Sounds yummy! If I omit the egg due to allergies, do you think they would still hold together well? Should I substitute something else?ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Heather! Actually the recipe would be completely fine if you omit the egg. I hope you and your family likes it! Thanks for posting!ReplyCancel

  • October 8, 2012 | CrossFit Mount Laurel - […] Sun-dried tomato Meatballs, Stir it up […]ReplyCancel

  • Amy Savoie - I am loving your site. I belive 100% that food has everything to do with all the mass amount of ailments and illness that are everywhere these days. I love to hear about other people learning these truths. The more people know and change, the more hope we have of changing things for good. Keep spreading the word. Thanks for sharing with us. Hugs!!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Thanks Amy! I really appreciate your post, and support!! πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

  • Nathan - I am happy to have found your site – I look forward to the meatballs I will make this week – and the future posts to read and learn from.

    Thanks!ReplyCancel

  • Sam - oh my gosh…yum! I will be making these asap. I just bought some sundried tomatoes yesterday!ReplyCancel

  • Karol - I did it today for the first time and we really enjoyed the taste. We will definitely have this food again soon. Thank you for the recipe.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - You are welcome Karol! So glad y’all liked it! Thanks!ReplyCancel

  • Martha - Made these for dinner tonight. They were easy, fast, and delicious. We had all the ingredients already at home and the recipe was very clear. Thanks!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - So glad y’all liked them Martha!! Thanks for sharing! πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

  • Coleen - I made these as part of the diet plan you sent me last week and they were delicious! I did tweak it a little to make it like my Italian grandmother’s — added a little grated parmesan, basil and some almond meal as they were a bit soupy since I halved the recipe and one egg was too much!ReplyCancel

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