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Spiced meatballs in baked tomato and spinach sauce

These spiced meatballs in baked tomato and spinach sauce are ideal for laid-back dinner parties, get -togethers or family meals  as either the sauce or the whole dish can be cooked in advance and warmed up. ( I normally make the sauce days before and keep it in the fridge). The sauce is quite spicy - leave out the chilli, if you don’t like the heat. The meatballs are made with beef steak mince so they won’t fall apart through baking (you can fry them too, if you prefer – it’s quicker but baking is more healthy ). Serve it with rice, pasta, tortilla, flatbread etc and a crispy salad.  
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the meatballs:
  • 450 g minced beef steak
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground peppercorn
  • For the tomato sauce:
  • 6 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 red chilli
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp of oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 100 g spinach
  • 1 handful fresh coriander leaves

Method
 

  1. Put the meatball ingredients into a bowl and combine well. Let it rest.
  2. Preheat the oven 180°C.
  3. Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in a baking tin. Cut the carrots into chunks, the onion into 4 wedges. Cut the red pepper in half.
  4. Tuck the carrot, onion, chilli, red pepper and garlic cloves between the tomatoes. Drizzle with oil and scatter the oregano all over them, then combine well. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile grease a baking tin with a little olive oil.
  6. Form about 24 small balls from the mince mixture and put them in the prepared
  7. tin.
  8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning them over regularly. Set them aside.
  9. When the tomatoes and veggies are soft, transfer them to a saucepan.
  10. Remove the skin of the onion and garlic – and the red pepper too if you prefer. Remove and discard the skin and the seeds of the chilli.
  11. Turn on the heat and add the spinach and a little water, then cook for two minutes until the spinach has wilted. Add the herbs then, using a handheld blender, process the mixture into a thick sauce.
  12. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. Add the meatballs and heat through.
  13. Served warm with a squeeze of lime juice and some fresh coriander leaves scattered on top.