* caveat: there is no recipe for meatballs in this post. I uh, bought mine from Tesco. There is a recipe for beetroot salad though!

So. In case you don’t follow me on twitter, you might have missed the case of my Recent Obsessive Compulsive Infatuation with meatballs last week. I woke up Tuesday thinking about meatballs, and I then ate meatballs every. single. day. for a week.

I have serious emotional food issues I tell you.

And if there’s something I’ve learnt from dating a guy from somewhere up there near Scandinavia, it’s that meatballs, they go brilliantly with beetroot salad. I didn’t make that up, the guys at the Scandinavian Kitchen will totally vouch for me, they make the same thing.

So. The beetroot salad. A stolen recipe from Panu’s mum, this is the easiest and most deliciously salad you’ll ever make. And it’s a natural hot pink.

What more could you ask for?

I know what more you could ask for. A good meatball recipe. Well, I haven’t worked one out yet so for now, check these out:

Enjoy!

beetroot salad
400 grams canned or cooked beetroot in juice
2-3 large carrots
200 grams pickled gherkins
1 small onion
150mL sour cream (or to taste)
Lemon juice (half a lemon, or to taste)
Salt and cracked pepper (to taste)
  1. Chop the carrots into small cubes and boil until soft. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Chop the beetroot, onion and gherkins into small cubes and add to a mixing bowl, including the beetroot juice from the can or pack.
  3. When the carrots are cooled, add them to the bowl.
  4. Mix with sour cream – this should give the dressing a radioactive pink colour, but it’s all natural!
  5. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve with meatballs, and top with chives.
Makes a big bowl of salad.

20 Thoughts on “my obsessive compulsive infatuation with meatballs. oh, and a beetroot salad recipe.

  1. I am such a beetroot fan – as a fellow Australian I presume you have it in burgers as well?

    • Me too! Yes, I think it’s an Australian thing… and you presume correct, nothing’s better in a burger than a slice of juicy beetroot! πŸ˜€

  2. I have eaten meatballs every day last week too, but it’s because the IKEA meatballs are so tasty *and* easy to cook. Do you like those, or are they too, um, industrial?

  3. I stumbled upon the Scandinavian Kitchen last night but didn’t have the meatballs. Needed something to tie me over until dinner at Soho Japan. Had one of their Valrhona chocolate and orange brownie – melts in the mouth. Meatballs next time πŸ™‚

  4. I’ve been in a mental bubble this past week so I wasn’t too aware of your meatball mania, but if you’ve been preparing them like this, I can understand why! The beetroot salad looks fantastic – I really need to eat more of it. With all this talk to IKEA meatballs, I may need to hit that behemoth and get a fix!

  5. H: Oh it’s a great little place, we usually go there for lunch on weekends πŸ™‚ Did you like Soho Japan?

    Tangled Noodle: it’s ok, I didn’t expect you (or anyone) to actually read my twitter dribble (twribble?). But yes, obsession last week which has now passed but I ate meatballs everyday for a week! And twice on Thursday last week LOL!

  6. Yes, I liked Soho Japan though odd setting. Took your tip about the omelette and eel – nice. Salmon belly with salt was good too.

  7. I think it’s perfectly normal to crave meatballs – what’s not to love? You can have meatballs Italian style with beef and herbs, Thai pork balls with lemongrass and fish sauce, Indian meatballs with ginger and cumin, Levantine lamb kofte, Scandinavian meatballs, American meatballs, there’s a whole wide world of meatballs out there… Hmm, maybe I need some help too.

  8. Beetroot – the devil’s spawn…..

    I did think it cheeky you didn’t make your own meatballs until I realised that my forays into the world of recipes are full of even cheekier shortcuts!

  9. The Grubworm: I know, did you check out the links to the different types of meatballs I posted? Even lentil-ricotta “meatballs” LOL… and yeh, you and me both, cuckoo πŸ˜‰

    Mr Noodles: LOL just reminded me of the story you said about having a burger with “the lot” in Oz πŸ˜€

  10. Hehe I have a meatball obsession too. Nothing wrong with that! We put beetroot in our burgers here which I guess is like a big flat, sauceless meatball! πŸ™‚

    • LOL – that is SO true, I hadn’t thought of a beef pattie as a giant flat meatball haha, see us Aussies, we know what we’re doing. Most of the time πŸ˜‰

  11. Yum now that’s what I call a salad. I love that you can use tinned beetroot (because really, opening a tin is so much easier) and I always feel guilty when I pour the juice down the sink too. Beetroots are always my must-have with hamburgers and kangaroo. Must remember to have it with meatballs next time too!

  12. I like beetroot but not the prepping so I very seldom do anything with beetroot. I think I need to change.

  13. I have meatballs for lunch today and I am craving for more. I really like the hot pink color of the beetroot.

  14. I have obessions every week love them!! great salad!!

    sweetlife

  15. Helen: Oh I totally use tinned beetroot haha, have you peeled a fresh one?! TOO MUCH EFFORT and really, you need the tinned juice to make this salad so it’s not even that you’re being lazy or anything πŸ˜‰

    penny: Well like I said to Helen, use the tinned one – very little prepping, although you do get pink fingers πŸ™‚

    Anh: If you’re anything like me, you’re gonna be eating meatballs for a week now!

    sweetlife: Hahaha me too! Totally obsessive compulsive but A.D.D.! Every week there’s a new obsession πŸ˜€

  16. Man, my grandmomma was Italian and she made the most incredible meatballs I ever tasted, like you had died and gone to meatball heaven. Sadly, she died last year and she didnt leave a single recipe for me so I’ve been trying to work it out on my own… slowly working my through the meatball recipes here, I still cant figure out what her secret ingredient was though!!!

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