[Good guy]

Here's my recipe for meatballs in a very good vegetable sauce. It is a great way of getting veg into reluctant children and leftover sauce is great with pasta and cheese too. Other vegetables might be substituted/added, depending on the season but the passata and tomatoes are essential.

Spicy Meatballs in Tomato/Vegetable Sauce

For the meatballs:
400g of 5% fat minced beef
1/2 onion, grated
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
A little oil for frying

For the sauce:
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 good-sized carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 can tomatoes
250g passata
1 teaspoon paprika
2 bay leaves
Sprig of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste


Make the meatballs by mixing together the egg, onion, salt and spices. Add in the minced beef and mix thoroughly (I find it easiest to use my bare hand - it works better than a fork or spoon). Shape the mince into walnut sized balls (you should get 15 to 20). Fry them off gently in a little oil until they are browned all over and set aside (about 5 to 7 minutes).

Put all the chopped vegetables into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, together with the herbs, the tomatoes and passata. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender. Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaves and the stalk of the rosemary and then blend with a stick blender. Use some water to deglaze the pan the meatballs were fried in and add this to the sauce. Add more water if required, to reach the desired consistency (we like it a bit thicker than e.g. tomato soup) and adjust the seasoning to taste.

You will end up with about 2 litres of sauce - at this point you can freeze the meatballs and sauce separately, if desired. Re-heat the meatballs in the sauce and serve with wholemeal spaghetti.

[Ado 2]

Thanks I will try that for him indoors, I like when you can cook in bulk and freeze some. Makes perfect sense

[Good guy]

You never know, even Wigtax might become a convert!

[Ado 2]

Ooohhh aren't you supposed to be in The Pottering Shed with that ! !

[tagwex]

Will there be a hook on the door of this potting shed? Somewhere to leave your feelings if you dare to go inside and get a right good roasting!

[Good guy]

We dont have a Potting Shed yet!

Incidentally, if amybody tries out my recipe, i would appreciate feedback.

[Her Outdoors]

Thanks for that, I have just saved it.

I usually use the recipe from the Hairy Dieters book and it is good. I like the extra vegetables in your sauce so definitely going to give it a go.

[tagwex]

@ her outdoors, welcome back! Were you on a sabbatical for the last year or doing what I should be doing i.e. getting my handicap down and give the gardening a rest!!!

[kindredspirit]

10 out 10 for that recipe because it has no wheat or dairy in it.

[Her Outdoors]

Exactly Kindredspirit from a fellow coeliac.

Tagwex, thanks for the welcome. Don't normally log in out of the gardening season, I should, shouldn't I. An email regarding a topic I posted on before prompted me to log in. Spent half the day catching up.

Sadly, handicap is going up, increasing with age!! Still trudging along though!

I see from posts you are not very well, hope you are now on the mend.

[tagwex]

You should indeed. We need more numbers to give a more rounded view or else a diverging view and then the fun begins..........
Have you shot your age yet?
Thanks for the good wishes.

[Her Outdoors]

Tagwex,if I could shoot my age I would be very happy!!

[tagwex]

If i could shoot mine McIlroy would have to give up!