Everything about this dish screams easy mum meal to me. Both the meatballs and the sauce can be made in advance and frozen. This meal could be made at the weekend and stored in the freezer until you want to eat it. It’s a great meal for those back to school mums, like me. The first few weeks of term can be confusing for everyone. The last thing I like is to think about what we are going to eat for dinner. Therefore the fact that I have a frozen meal ready to go puts my mind at ease. Then I can concentrate on other tasks. That’s why it’s a simple dinner.
What do you like to store in the freezer for those busy evenings? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Vegetable peeler
- Grater
- Plate
- Baking tray
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients for the meatballs
- Minced beef x 500g
- Ground flax seed or almond flour x 4 tbsp
- Mild chili powder x 1 tsp
- Garam Masala x 1 tsp
- Ground ginger x 1 tsp
- Ground sweet cinnamon x 1 tsp
- Carrot x 1
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method for the meatballs
- Put the ground flax seed or almond flour into the large bowl and mix these ingredients together.
- Sprinkle in the mild chili powder, garam masala, ground ginger and ground sweet cinnamon and mix together.
- Add in the tamari, mix in until the tamari absorbs in and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile peel and grate the carrot.
- Then add this to the bowl.
- Add in the beef mince and salt and pepper to taste.
- Wet your hands under the tap and make sure your hands are damp.
- Scrunch all the ingredients together with your hand.
- When everything is mixed together divide into four parts.
- Take one of the four parts and start to make meatballs from the part.
- It should make about three large or four smaller meatballs.
- Put the meatballs onto the dinner plate and put them into the fridge for at least a couple of hours or overnight.
- Once you start making the sauce preheat the oven to 180°C or gas mark 5.
- Remove the meatballs from the fridge and place into the baking tray.
- Put the baking tray into the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the juices run clear from the meat.
- To check the juices run clear put a skewer into a meatball and let the juice run from it.
- If it’s clear take them out and if not leave them in for five more minutes or until the juices runs clear.
Method for the sauce
- Next peel, slice and dice the onion.
- Slice the top from the red pepper and remove the core and stalk.
- Now slice the flesh of the pepper.
- Put the sauce pan onto a high heat on the hob.
- Add oil to the base of the pan.
- Once the pan is hot add in the onions and fry for a couple of minutes.
- If the pan gets to hot turn the heat down slightly.
- Now add in the sliced red pepper.
- If the ingredients stick to the base of the pan add a little water.
- Fry these ingredients for a good five minutes or until everything is soft.
- Next add in the tomatoes and turn the heat back up.
- Pour in the maple syrup and stir in.
- Sprinkle over the dried mixed herbs and salt and pepper to your taste.
- Bring all the ingredients to the boil.
- Turn the heat down and leave to simmer.
- Leave on the hob for 30 minutes or so.
- This can be made before the oven is preheated for the meatballs.
- Once the sauce has started to thicken remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- When the sauce has cooled pour into the blender.
- Blend these ingredients until they are smooth.
- Put the sauce back onto a low heat and leave to simmer.
- Cook the rice or quinoa as per the packet instructions.
- Serve the dish when the meatballs and rice or quinoa are cooked and the sauce is thick and creamy.
- Then enjoy.
Masala Beef Meatballs and Sauce was a lovely meal. It was very easy to prepare and cook. As I have mentioned above it could be made in advance of a meal and frozen. All the ingredients in this dinner are freezable. Plus this dish made tasty leftovers for lunch the next day too. However you decide to eat this meal, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 