Mmmm. Delicious meatballs.

Meatballs mean comfort food, but they don't have to mean heavy and unhealthy. I've replaced the usual breadcrumbs with quinoa and the ground pork with leaner, more flavorful wild boar. Add in chopped nuts, golden raisins and herbs for a flavor punch that's good for you.

These are so easy to make and perfect for a crowd. They freeze well which means you can make a large batch in advance and keep them on hand for those times you need to throw together a quick meal with minimal effort. I make a huge batch each winter before we take a group of friends up to our cabin in June Lake. I let them defrost on the drive up and then I'm ready to feed a crowd of hungry travelers as soon as we arrive. Easy peasy.

I found wild boar in the freezer section of my local Bristol Farms, but it can also be ordered online here and here or here in bulk. My favorite serving suggestion is included in the recipe below.

Wild Boar Meatballs

Makes

1 lb ground wild boar

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/2 bunch of parsley, leaves removed and stems discarded

4 sprigs of mint, leaves removed and stems discarded

1 tsp kosher salt

Place all ingredients aside from wild boar in a food processor and process until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the ground boar and stir gently until combined. Do not over mix.

Take a large spoonful of meat mixture and roll it between your hands to form a meatball. Repeat with remaining meat mixture to form around 14 meatballs.

Either freeze for later use or cook as desired.

Serving Suggestion:

Preheat oven to 350. Sear meatballs lightly and transfer to a baking dish. Top with 1 cup of Speedy Pomodoro and scatter chunks of feta or mozzarella around the dish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Scatter chopped parsley over the meatballs and serve.