Heat broiler to high or oven to 500 degrees. Soak the wooden skewers in a shallow dish filled with water. In a small pot, bring 1 1⁄2 cups water to a boil with a large pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, halve, peel, and finely dice half the onion. Finely chop the parsley. Quarter the grape tomatoes. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

Add the quinoa to the boiling water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions. Zest the lemon, then cut into wedges.

Make the beef mixture: in a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, diced onion, 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a large pinch of allspice, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Assemble the skewers: form the beef mixture into 1 1⁄2-inch meatballs and thread them carefully onto the wooden skewers. Place skewers on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place on the top rack in the oven under the broiler for 5-6 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Make the quinoa tabbouleh: while the meatballs cook, combine the cooked quinoa with the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, scallions, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the meatball skewers over the quinoa tabbouleh with a lemon wedge to the side. Enjoy!