Meatballs

Meatballs in Sauce  

Time: 45 min

Difficulty: Medium

Price: Affordable

Ingredients:

3/4 kg minced meat (either beef or half

beef and half pork)

2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

1 sprig parsley

2 eggs

bread crumbs

olive oil, better if extra virgin

1 teaspoon salt 

Optional: a handful of pine nuts

How to make meatballs

Put the minced meat in a large bowl. Grate the onion in a bowl, and then add to the meat three tablespoons of bread crumbs, two eggs, chopped parsley, minced garlic and a teaspoon of salt. 

Mix it all well with a spoon and a fork. Once everything is well mixed, form balls not very big, squeezing and rolling them with your hands so they do not crumble or break. Roll  them in bread crumbs and set aside. Put a generous amount of olive oil into a skillet(about a finger-width of oil). Brown the meatballs on the stove-top, being careful they do not stick together while cooking. Then transfer into a casserole dish side-by-side.

Cook for at least 10 minutes with the salsa of your choice to flavor the meat.

Tomato sauce (Salsa de Tomate)

                                         

                                         

                                         

Time: 30 min                                   

                                                                                              Difficulty: Easy

                                       

Price: Affordable 

          

Ingredients: 

1 kg red, ripe tomatoes (any variety)

2 small carrots

2 garlic cloves

1 onion

4 celery leafs 

4 tablespoons virgin olive oil

A pinch of sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Note: If you want to peel tomatoes, leave in boiling water for 2 minutes before you slice them (but you will lose vitamins found in the skin). 

Put 4 tablespoons of oil into a large skillet and fry the onion together with the finely chopped garlic. Within a minute, add the tomato and carrot, finely chopped also. Stir with a wooden spoon and simmer for 20 minutes.
 

Just before removing the sauce from the heat, add celery leaves, a pinch of sugar, and salt. Puree in the blender if you wish.

 Almond Sauce (Salsa de Almendras)

 
Time: 30 min


Difficulty: Easy


Price: Affordable

Ingredients:

1 Onion

2 Garlic cloves

200g Peeled almonds

1 Glass of white wine

1 Glass of water

1 tablespoon of flour

Extra virgin olive oil
1 Bay leaf 

Salt

Add a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry the almonds until browned, remove, and then crush them.

Finely chop or grind the onion and garlic and in the the same oil, caramelize them, and stir to prevent burning. A minute later add a glass of white wine, the bay leaf, and a tablespoon of flour (dissolved in a glass of water).

Simmer for 20 minutes and add salt to taste. Blend together with the crushed almonds, and pour over meatballs. 

See also:

Hot Mexican Sassy Salsa and Salsa Primavera

Accompaniment for meatballs: mashed potatoes, fries, spaghetti, rice, pasta, vegetables, etc.

 

Mashed Potatoes - Spanish Style 
(Your kids will love it!)  

Peel and wash the potatoes well before cooking 20 to 40 minutes in the oven on medium temperature (or microwave for 10 minutes) depending on the size of the potatoes. 

Once they are cooked and soft, you can mash them with a fork, potato masher, or grind them in a food processor. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 40g of butter, and 1 or 2 glasses of milk to reach the desired consistency. You could also add grated cheese, if desired.