Pork And Mango Meatballs

Anyone who has read my blog knows we like a meatball in this house and these are no exception.

One of those fun recipes that evolve as I’m digging through the fridge looking for inspiration. The cream thickens to make a sweet yet savoury sauce, I serve these over rice.

Choose any mango chutney that you would happily eat on its own, not one that’s loitering in the fridge because it tastes awful!

Makes 18 meatballs and feeds 6.

Ingredients

500g minced pork

130g mango and ginger chutney

280g zucchini, grated and liquid squeezed out

1 red chilli, deseeded, halve lengthwise and sliced

10g fresh chopped chives

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and pepper

250mls cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

Combine all of the ingredients, except the cream in a bowl.

Form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs.

Lay the balls in a roasting tin and pop into the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until beginning to colour.

Take the roasting tin out of the oven and pour in the cream, swirl it around the meatballs, turning them as you go.

Return to the oven and bake again for 10-15 minutes until the cream has thickened and the meatballs have coloured.

Greek Meatballs

What’s not to love with these meatballs, sneaking veggies into the kids, they freeze really well for dinner another night, baked, not fried and dinner served in a pitta, flat bread or roll is always a winner in our house!

If you are in barbcueing season, lucky you! These cook well on a BBQ, squeeze them onto skewers to make your own kofta or flatten them to make delicious patties.

Makes 28-30 balls. Serves 6.

Ingredients

70g gluten free fresh breadcrumbs

500g minced lamb

280g baby spinach

3 garlic cloves, peeled

15g fresh parsley leaves

100g spring onions/scallions/green onions

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

If you have time, make the meatball mix a few hours before cooking but if not just carry on!

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Centigrade, line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Cook the spinach until just wilted, I use the microwave. Allow to cool enough to handle it and then squeeze the water out of it.

Blitz the bread in a food processor. Tip into a large bowl.

Now add the cooked spinach, garlic, parsley and spring onions to the processor and blitz again, tip into the breadcrumbs.

Now grate the lemon over the spinach, add the lamb and season well.

Using your hands, combine all of the ingredients really really well.

Form into small walnut sized balls. Lay on the prepared baking tray.

Slide into the oven and turn the heat down to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the outside has coloured and the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve with salad and fried haloumi in wraps, pittas or rolls or allow to cool, pour them into a zip lock bag and freeze for another day.

Thai Pork Meatballs in Coconut Sauce

Got any leftover Thai red curry paste hiding in the back of the fridge or cupboard? This is the perfect way to use it up!

Not too spicy, full of flavour and hidden veg to boot!

Did I mention gluten, dairy and nut free???

Serves 6. Makes 28 meatballs.

Ingredients

60g gluten free fresh breadcrumbs

330g zucchini/courgette

80g fresh coriander/cilantro

4 spring onions/scallions

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 egg

500g minced pork

2 x 270mls coconut milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade.

In a food processor, whizz the bread to make crumbs and tip into a large bowl.

Now grate the zucchini in the processor and again, tip into the bowl with the crumbs.

Next, whizz the coriander, spring onions, soy sauce, curry paste and egg, tip into the bowl.

Add the meat to the bowl and using your hands mix very well. Form into 28 balls.

Lay the balls in a non stick roasting tin as you go along with a little space around each one.

Bake the balls in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove and gently move the balls around so they have loosened from the base.

Pour the coconut milk into the tin and swirl around, covering the meatballs, scraping any pan juices into the milk.

Return to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until the coconut milk is thickened and bubbling.

Garnish with a little leftover coriander.