Beef, quinoa and zucchini meatloaf with green leafy salad

Serves

Prep Time

Cook Time

Ingredients

800g Lean beef mince

½ cup Quinoa, rinsed

2 Zucchini, grated

1 Carrots, grated

3 tsp Smoked paprika

3 cloves Garlic, crushed

1 Egg, lightly whisked

70g Cheddar cheese, grated

Green leafy salad, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and long sides of a 10cm x 21cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Place the quinoa in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes until the water has evaporated. Allow to cool.
Grate zucchini and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place in a sieve set over a bowl and leave to drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze zucchini firmly to extract excess liquid.
Place beef mince, cooked quinoa, zucchini, carrots, paprika, garlic, egg and half the cheese into a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well until combined.
Place mixture into the loaf tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour or until juices run clear, or a meat thermometer reads 71°C. Allow to cool for 20 minutes, pour off juices, place on a cooling rack and set over a tray to cool. Slice and serve with a green leafy salad.

Use different vegetables, such as leftover roasted vegetables or diced or mashed pumpkin. A good tip is to have as many colours as possible.
Try veal or lamb mince as an alternative to beef mince for a different flavour.
You can make gravy using the meatloaf juices. Add the juices to a medium frying pan with 1 tablespoon of flour and cook slowly for about 5 minutes until thickened and the flour is cooked. Add a little red wine vinegar to balance the flavour and season to taste.