These chicken meatballs started life at Casa Adora — pan-fried, served on a creamy chickpea and cauliflower mash, seasoned with a fragrant Mediterranean spice blend that I now keep in a small jar on the shelf. The blend works on the meatballs, through the mash, and as a finishing sprinkle over the whole dish. I have since cooked this in the van too, where the RidgeMonkey handles the meatballs beautifully and the mash comes together in one pan on the hob.

THE MEDITERRANEAN SPICE BLEND

Make a small batch and keep it in a jar — it works on grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, and flatbreads too.

• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Pinch of chilli flakes

Mix together and store in a small jar.

INGREDIENTS

For the meatballs:

• 300g chicken mince
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 small egg
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½–1 tsp Mediterranean spice blend
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for frying

For the chickpea and cauliflower mash:

• 1 small jar of chickpeas, drained
• ½ head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• A good glug of olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp Mediterranean spice blend

How to Make Chicken Meatballs with Chickpea and Cauliflower Mash

1. Mix the chicken mince with the breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, spice blend, salt and pepper. Form into small meatballs — about the size of a walnut.
2. Heat a good glug of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches, turning regularly, until golden all over and cooked through — about 10–12 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, boil the cauliflower florets until tender — about 8–10 minutes. Drain well.
4. In the same pan or a separate one, warm the drained chickpeas over a medium heat. Add the cooked cauliflower, a good glug of olive oil, the spice blend, salt and pepper.
5. Mash or blend to your preferred texture — chunky or smooth, both work well.
6. Serve the meatballs on top of the mash. Sprinkle over a little more spice blend to finish.

VAN LIFE NOTE

In the van, the meatballs go in the RidgeMonkey – cook them in two batches if needed. The mash comes together in one pan on the hob. Everything reheats well the next day, which is rarely a problem.

The spice blend is the thing to keep. Once the jar is on the shelf, it finds its way into everything — grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, and a quick flatbread dough. If you enjoy cooking chicken meatballs, try the chicken, carrot, apple and chickpea albondigas in tomato broth — a Spanish take on the same idea.

FOOTNOTE

This chicken meatballs recipe is part of the Chicken Recipes hub — a complete collection of chicken and poultry recipes from Casa Adora and the road. Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.