recipes

easy, tasty meatballs

easy meatballs

There is a new thing going around at the moment… meatballs. Between schnitzel, sausages, eggs, more sausages and more schnitzel… finding a tasty meal that not only the kids will enjoy but us adults too is hard! Thus the reason for having separate meals.

But this is a winner! Serious!

Now, these meatballs do have a little tang to them. So maybe not for the faint hearted when it comes to flavour. I guess it depends on how adventurous your little cherubs can be. But they can easily be adapted to meet the more fussy eater… like my little girl.

If my husband could have it his way, he would have this dish every night of the week. Knowing that I make in bulk, he is generally guaranteed at least two nights in a row. Lucky for him. This recipe is adapted from Yotam Ottelenghi Jerusalem, one of my all-time favourite cookbooks. If you are wanting a new addition, this one is a winner. Enjoy x

Ingredients:

4 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 can chick peas or mixed beans
4 thyme sprigs
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 jar of pasta sauce
salt + ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Meatballs

400-500g ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 bunch coriander, including stalks
2 large garlic cloves
4 tsp ground cumin
1 egg, beaten

* In a food processor, or thermomix, process the parsley and coriander. Add the onion and garlic and process again. Add the remaining meatball ingredients and mix all together, 10 seconds speed 4. Form into ping-pong size balls.

* Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in an extra large frying pan with a lid. If you don’t have one, just use an ordinary fry pan. Sear half the meatballs, turning them until they are brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove, and add another 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil and cook the other batch. Remove from the pan and leave aside.

* While the meatballs are cooking, drain the chickpeas or bean mix and rinse well. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add the onion, thyme and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, chicken stock, pasta sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. The beans should be almost covered with the liquid. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.

* Return the meatballs to the frying pan, stir and simmer for another 25 minutes. You want to make sure there is just enough sauce but not too runny. If it appears to be a little runny, remove the lid and reduce a little.

Garnish with a few fresh parsley leaves and serve with some rice or cous cous.

** If you are feeling a little strapped for time, and in one of those moods where you just want to ‘throw everything into the one pot’, you can totally do this. Obviously, you need to make the meatballs separately, but once browned, you could leave them in the pan, and throw everything else in. Put the lid on and cook.

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