Meatballs and sauce

OK, no messing here.  Just a recipe that my family likes and even the kids tend to eat without too much nose turning.  Quite a miracle!

Total cost of recipe = approx. £6.49, using organic mince (excluding the pasta)

Cost per adult = £1.62

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Meatballs and sauce

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Soya-free, Fish-free, Sugar-free

Servings 4 adults

Author Vicki Montague the Freefrom Fairy

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• For the meatballs:
• 500 g organic beef mince
• 1 small onion whizzed in a hand-held chopper or other such implement
• 1 clove garlic as above
• 2 pieces gluten-free bread whizzed in a hand-held chopper to make bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp grain mustard I used Tesco own but check ingredients
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or a sprig of fresh rosemary if you have it, leaves finely chopped
• Handful fresh chopped oregano
• 1 medium free-range egg
• Black pepper to taste
• For the sauce:
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp pesto I used my home-made one with no dairy
• 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• Approx. 100g frozen vegetables
• OR if avoiding dairy and you have no dairy-free pesto:
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes or approx. 400ml tomato passata
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 - 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• Approx. 100g frozen mixed vegetables
• The meatballs are also great made with lamb mince organic if possible!. Replace the cinnamon, mustard and oregano with a large handful of chopped, fresh mint. Delish!

Method

1. Method
2. Place the whizzed onion and garlic into a bowl along with all the other ingredients for the meatballs.
3. Squidge messily together with your hands making sure everything is mixed up well
4. Make small balls from the mix...I made about 20 with this I think
5. Place on a baking tray
6. Bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, making sure they are cooked through by cutting one open...I challenge you not to eat that one straight away!
7. Place the cooked meatballs into a bowl with kitchen roll to mop up the excess fat
8. Whilst the meatballs are baking place the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan
9. Allow the sauce to simmer for 15-20 minutes, then place in a liquidiser or use a hand-held implement to do the same job...to make a smooth sauce that the kids will not know has hidden vegetables in!

Cost breakdown (based on Tesco prices on 4.2.14, approximate costs given for small quantities)

Tesco organic steak mince 400g = £4.00; 500g= £5.00

Tesco value white onions = 63p per kg; 1 onion = approx. 6p

Tesco garlic bulb = 30p; 2 cloves = approx. 6p

Tesco fresh gluten-free bread = £2.40; 2 slices = approx. 44p (100g)

Tesco free-range medium eggs = 23p each

Tesco chopped tinned tomatoes, 4 pack = £2.00; 1 tin = 50p

Tesco frozen mixed vegetables = £1 per kg; 100g = 10p

I have allowed 10p in the recipe for herbs and spices; they are in such small quantities it is hard to quantify the cost.