This recipe was given to us by our friend Rachel, who has her own very hungry little one who’s about the same age as our sons. He is a big fan of meatballs with tomato sauce so she wanted to share his favorite recipe with us.
One thing I love about meatballs is that you can – just like with our chicken balls – make a bigger batch, freeze leftovers in a plastic container or freezer bag and then defrost portions whenever you need them – great for your last-minute dinner or snack! Left-over tomato sauce from this recipe tastes great even as pasta sauce.
Recipe tips
For a delicious variation use minced beef instead of lamb and replace the feta with buffalo mozzarella cheese. If you are serving your meatballs with couscous, why not add some finely cubed dried apricot, herbs (parsley, mint and basil) and orange rind to your couscous when it’s cooked?
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
400 g (1 1/2 c) crushed tomatoes
100 ml (1/2 c) water
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp raisins
black pepper
For the meatballs
500g minced lamb
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbsp wheatgerm
1 egg
1 tsp ground cumin (use curry powder as an alternative)
Black pepper
100g feta cheese, cubed
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
Method
1. Start with the tomato sauce: heat oil in a pot or deep pan and fry onion and garlic on low heat for 5 mins.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients bring to the boil, then let simmer for 20 mins.
3. For the meatballs, mix all ingredients together except the feta cheese.
4. Roll into small balls and insert a small cube of feta cheese in the middle of each ball.
5. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the balls until golden brown.
6. Serve your meatballs in tomato sauce with couscous, rice or boiled eggs.
Preparation: 15 min | Cooking time: 30 mins | Servings: 5-8 portions
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