Meatballs in the Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 500g of pork mince meat
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp dried garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground paprika

For the Sauce

• 250g closed-cup mushrooms
• 1 medium courgette, 250g
• 1 red bell pepper, 250g
• 1 white onion
• 250ml passata
• 1 Vegetable Stock Cube, bouillon
• 300ml of boiled water
• olive oil, for greasing
• salt, for seasoning
• black pepper, for seasoning
• dried garlic, for seasoning
• ground paprika, for seasoning

For Garnish

• Fresh parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare a large baking tray and line it with parchment paper.

Let’s make the meatballs first.

Combine the pork mince, egg, dried garlic, salt, black pepper, and ground paprika in a large bowl. Massage the mixture with your hands until it is soft and the seasonings are well distributed.

Using a spoon, scoop out a portion of the meat mixture and form it into a ball about the size of a golf ball. Wet your hands from time to time to prevent the mixture from sticking to them.

Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. To check if the meatballs are cooked through, cut one in half and make sure that the centre is no longer pink.

We can start making the sauce once the meatballs are in the oven.

Cut the onion into long, thin strips. Cut the mushrooms into medium-thick slices. Cut the peppers and courgette into equal bite-size pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add all the vegetables and stir-fry for 10-12 minutes, or until they are tender-crisp.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add salt, black pepper, dried garlic, and ground paprika to taste. Stir to combine.

Dissolve a vegetable stock cube in 300ml of boiling water. Add the vegetable stock and passata to the vegetables. Stir, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Once the meatballs are cooked, stir them into the sauce.

Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.

Tips

This recipe is perfect when served with rice or potatoes.