Middle Eastern meatballs baked in a tomato and vegetable sauce

Serves 4- you can use 750g mince and serve 6

Ingredients

500g pork and veal mince

2 browns onions and 5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 carrot, ½ cm dice

2 stalks of celery ½ cm dice

1 cup of tomato passata

1 cup of beef or chicken broth

1 big handful each or mint and parsley, washed and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin/1 tsp ground coriander- you can double these spices if you want more flavour

1 tsp salt

Optional- 250g tub of buffalo mozzarella, sliced thinly- you can find this in this nice cheese section at the supermarket, it’s a fresh mozzarella and is white in colour, will be in brine or most likely oil.

Optional chopped red chilli if you like some heat

Method

Preheat your oven to 200c or 180 c fan forced.

In a large bowl knead together the mince and 1/3 of your onion/garlic, salt, spices, most of your chopped parsley/mint (reserve some to sprinkle over the top when cooked. Knead until sticky and form 16 balls and set aside.

In a large pan heat some olive oil and fry off your meatballs for 1-2 minutes until browned. Then put in the other 2/3 of your onion/garlic, carrot, and celery- cook a further 1-2 minutes and then add  your passata and broth- simmer, stirring a further 1-2 minutes until the broth is hot. Transfer to an oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Serve up by putting some sliced buffalo mozzarella on top and your reserves parsley and mint and chilli if using.

Serve this with some rice, cous cous, flatbread or some zoodles (zucchini/vegetable noodles)

Also have with extra steamed vegetables or a nice big salad.