PINEAPPLE MEATBALLS

PINEAPPLE MEATBALLS
Meatballs (see recipe below)
1 medium green pepper, cut in chunks
1 small carrot, sliced diagonally, 1 3/4 ounces
14 ounce can beef broth
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup Da Vinci sugar free syrup, pineapple flavor
1/4 cup low carb ketchup
1/2 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

Put the meatballs and vegetables in a large pot (see note below). Combine the remaining ingredients, except the xanthan gum and pour over the meatballs. Bring to a simmer. Lightly dust a little xanthan gum over the surface of the liquid and quickly stir in well. Continue adding xanthan gum, a very little at a time, until the sauce is the desired thickness. Simmer 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings of about 5 meatballs each
Do not freeze

MEATBALLS:
1 pound ground chuck
2 tablespoons onion, minced, about 1 ounce
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all of the ingredients well with your hands. Shape in medium balls, about 1 inch diameter, and place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425?for about 15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through, but still tender. Rinse in a colander to remove any egg that has leaked out.

Makes about 32 meatballs
Can be frozen

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 173 Calories; 10g Fat; 15g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 165 Calories; 10g Fat; 15g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

I was amazed at how close this tastes to the recipe I used to make with real pineapple juice. The only thing missing is the pineapple, but I never cared for pineapple chunks in it anyway. If you can afford the carbs, I suggest adding another green pepper and perhaps one more carrot. I don't recommend substituting more pineapple syrup for the granular Splenda. I think the flavor would be overpowering. You might be able to get away with up to 1/4 cup more syrup to lower the carbs, but add it gradually and taste as you go. I had a little trouble getting the xanthan gum to blend in well because the meatballs and vegetables kept getting in my way. Now that I know how much is needed, I may try blending it into the sauce mixture before it's added to the pot. If you like your vegetables more tender-crisp, add them to the meatballs after 5 minutes.

You can make this suitable for induction by using 2 green peppers and no carrot. The carb count remains about the same. Click the photo to see a close-up.

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