Chicken Meatballs with Hidden Veggies

A great way to use fresh tomatoes, spinach and sweetcorn!

I really like the idea of minimal washing up so do consider cooking the onion and the reusing the pan for the meatballs, think of it as added flavour!

For my gluten free option, I bake a potato while the meatballs are cooking and have a potato topped with the sauce and meatballs.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil

4 onions , diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh coriander

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

500g minced chicken

250g sweetcorn kernels, fresh or frozen

salt and pepper

SAUCE

5 anchovies in oil, drained

pepper, freshly ground

5 large tomatoes, deseeded and diced

50g baby spinach leaves

100g mozzarella, grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil and add the onions, cook until soft and beginning to colour, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Spoon 1/4 of the onion mix into a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Add the anchovies to the remaining onions and cook for 1 minute, add the tomatoes.

Spoon the mix into an oven proof dish. Keep the pan on the stove to cook the meatballs.

Once the onions in the bowl have cooled, add the fresh coriander and dill, chilli flakes, chicken, sweetcorn and seasoning, mix well.

Heat the pan to medium high.

Form the meat into meatballs and quickly fry them on all sides to colour them.

Sprinkle the spinach over the tomato mixture and spoon over the meatballs.

Top with the grated cheese and bake, covered, in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked and then bake, uncovered for 10-15mins to allow the cheese to brown.

To serve, top some hot cooked pasta with a handful of baby spinach, the sauce from the meatballs and then the meatballs themselves.

 

Easy Roast Turkey with Pesto and Prosciutto

One of the best ways to cook turkey I think!

By opening up the breast you are creating a larger surface area to flavour with the pesto and prosciutto, and it really is easy to tie back up but, a spare pair of hands can be helpful!

As the meat cooks, wonderful juices with sediment will form on the base of the pan, use these to then baste the meat, they will give it a fantastic flavour.

I use my home made pesto, recipe in the blog, as I always have a few jars in the fridge.

Leftovers are super in sandwiches and salads.

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

2kg turkey breast

170g basil pesto

12 slices prosciutto

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180degrees Centigrade.

Take the turkey breast and lay it on your chopping board.

Take a very sharp knife and cut the flesh, just above the skin, as if it were a book being opened. Don’t cut it all the way through.

Now, cut again, though the lower thick section,  to create a third page, the breast should now be in one long thin piece.

Spread the pesto over the inside and then cover with prosciutto.

Roll the turkey so the skin is uppermost.

Take long pieces of string and tie lengthwise at 1cm intervals. Rub the skin with the olive oil.

Place in an oven proof dish and bake for 45 mins, remove from the oven and baste, roast for a further 30 mins, basting regularly.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, cover lightly with tin foil and allow to rest for 30mins.

Remove the string and carve into thick slices.