Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Meatballs, Meatballs and even Vegan Power-Balls!

The humble meatball - do you like them? There are many varieties and recipes for this dish that can make a great mid-week (or any day) meal. I wondered when and where this dish originated, but apparently the true origin of the meatball remains unknown. The most likely candidate for the original meatball seems to be kofta, which originated with the Persians, who passed it to the Arabs. They likely travelled from the Arab world along trade routes to Greece, North Africa, and Spain.

Perhaps pinpointing the exact origin of the meatball is less significant than acknowledging its global popularity. Nearly every major culture has its own version of the meatball: Spanish albondigas, Dutch bitterballen, Chinese lion’s heads, South African skilpedjies. Kofte, too, is cooked everywhere from India to Morocco.

One possible reason for the meatball’s ubiquity … it’s an exceptionally accessible dish, simple and affordable. Meatballs can be made with nearly any kind of meat, and since that meat is ground and mixed with herbs and other flavours, cheap cuts of meat can be transformed into something delicious. Nowadays, there are also vegetarian and vegan options for this humble dish.
More about meatballs here

Swedish Meatballs - delicious !
see more details here


Chicken meatballs with cauliflower mash
see more details here


Pork and Apple Meatballs : so tasty served with a lower carb mash
see more details here


Italian Meatballs with Mozzarella Cheese : Low Carb and Delicious
see more details here


Angie's Meatball Gratin : using pork mince with Pancetta or bacon
see more details here


Vegan power-balls with courgetti and cashew cheese
see more details here


You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

34 comments:

  1. We love meatballs -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com

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  2. ..so many ways to enjoy meatballs!

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  3. Swedish meatballs are the only ones I have made. But, I like others. I'm just lazy.

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  4. We like meatballs - so many good ones!

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  5. It's amazing how many types of meatballs there are. And all of these look so good.

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  6. Gracias por las recetas. Te mando un beso.

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  7. My favorite meat balls 😋

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  8. I love making cashew cheese sauce. It's yummy. Been awhile since I did a proper red sauce bake. I should make one soon. Thanks, Jan.

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  9. that is a very tempting recipe

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  10. We LOVE meatballs :-) Thank you, Jan, for including mine!

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  11. We like them but often make them bigger.

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  12. Me encantan las albóndigas. Las hago con carne de ternera.
    Buen miércoles. para Todos.
    Un abrazo.

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  13. Meatballs are not something I've ever taken to, but these look delicious.. I like the idea of pork and apple.

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  14. They all look delicious!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Take care, have a wonderful day!

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  15. Another delicious meal. I'd always commend your plating, so attractive.

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  16. We haven't had meatballs for a while. Thanx for the reminder.

    God bless.

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  17. I like pork and apple meatballs. Thanks for mentioning italian meatballs with mozzarella cheese 😉 My wife sometimes cooks vegetarian meatballs made with lentils, chickpeas and parmesan cheese.
    Great post!

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  18. I do like a good vegan meatball. The meatballs and courgette with the vegan cheese sounds good :-D

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  19. While I enjoy meatballs, I think of them more as a party snack (or Super Bowl dish) than a regular meal.

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  20. Good meatballs are just so tasty. Time to make some!

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  21. I don't eat meatballs very often I guess it's because they are so filling? Interesting recipes.

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  22. Excellent dishes as always, you whet your appetite just by seeing them.
    Best regards.

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  23. Como es natural, yo hago las típicas albóndigas de España.
    Un abrazo.

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  24. Wow they look very tasty👍In fact I was thinking of making meat balls.Here we call them" Kjøttkaker."I am working on to eat less red meat so the chicken recipy I shall try.The sauce look delicios ,my mouth is watering😂Thank you for sharing health and good vibrations👍💖

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  25. We really do enjoy a good meatball. In fact, we had a BBQ meatball casserole over the weekend. But I have copied down the recipe for two of these that you have shared. It's always fun to try new recipes.

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  26. GOOGLE TRANSLATE

    J.P. Alexander
    Gracias por las recetas. Te mando un beso.
    Thanks for the recipes. I send you a kiss.

    Laura. M
    Me encantan las albóndigas. Las hago con carne de ternera.
    Buen miércoles. para Todos.
    Un abrazo.
    I love meatballs. I make them with beef.
    Good Wednesday. for Everyone.
    A hug.

    VENTANA DE FOTO
    Como es natural, yo hago las típicas albóndigas de España.
    Un abrazo.
    Naturally, I make the typical meatballs from Spain.
    A hug.

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  27. Yummy!! Everything looks delicious.

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  28. I'd not thought of chicken meatballs, might have to give that one a try.

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  29. I haven't made meatballs in ages, the Italian ones sound the best to me

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  30. Son muy buenas las albóndigas, yo las hago mezcladas de carne de cerdo y ternera y son las españolas. Besos.

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  31. My mouth is watering at all these different meatball recipes. We love them in many combinations in this family and have them quite often. I think meatballs will be on the menu this week.

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  32. My mother would vary them. Sometimes Swedish or Hawaiian.

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The best of health to you and yours.

Eddie