Gluten-free Meatballs with Spinach and Feta

4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

3 cups spinach

¼ cup red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup cooked millet

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese 1 tsp dried oregano salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

1 ¼ lbs ground beef

2 tbsp olive oil, separated

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and spinach and cook for 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and garlic is fragrant. Remove spinach mixture from heat and transfer to a cutting board, chop fine.

Add chopped spinach mixture to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add onion, millet, feta, oregano, salt and pepper and egg to spinach mixture and stir until all ingredients are wet. Add ground beef to the mixing bowl and work egg and spinach mixture into meat with hands until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Using the same skillet from the spinach mixture, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Form meat mixture into one inch balls and cook in skillet, making sure meatballs do not touch. Cook meatballs for approximately 8 minutes or until done (165 degree internal temp), turning twice to brown. Remove cooked meatballs from heat and keep warm in the oven. Drain off excess fat and continue cooking meatballs in batches until all the meatballs are cooked. Serve warm with roasted red pepper sauce.

Note: If you prefer, you can cook the meatballs on a cooling rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 22 minutes. Makes 28 meatballs.

Sautéed Vegetables and Millet Salad with Avocado Oil Vinaigrette

½ yellow pepper, diced

½ red pepper, diced

1 ½ cups chopped eggplant

½ small red onion, chopped

4 oz baby portobello mushrooms, chopped, stems removed salt and pepper 1 cup cooked millet

¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives

8 basil leaves, sliced thin

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 tbsp avocado oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp lemon juice

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle avocado oil in pan to coat, approximately 1 tbsp. Add peppers, eggplant and red onion of a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of avocado oil. Add vegetables to skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Stir vegetables and add portobello mushrooms. Stir, cook 5 minutes more, or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, add basil, parsley, avocado oil, vinegar, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix briskly with a whisk until oil and vinegar are well blended.

Remove veggies from heat and transfer to a medium serving bowl. Add millet and olives, stir. Pour vinaigrette mixture over millet and veggie mixture, stir to coat. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

½ roasted red pepper (jarred or fresh)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red onion

2 garlic cloves 1 tsp oregano salt and pepper dash cayenne pepper

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Serve warm or room temp.

Chrissy Christian

• The Cook of the Week Challenge contestants' recipes are published exactly as submitted to the judges for evaluation.