Southern Style Piri Piri Meatballs

These meatballs are syn free, the ingredients below make 20

I based this recipe on one in the new take 5 Slimming World cookbook but I didn’t fancy the curry flavor with corn so I’ve played with it and made them a more mellow Southern style which I think works better.  

This version was a bit of a test as I’ve been trying to use up stuff in my freezer so the veg is all frozen.  I left it to defrost but it wasn’t fully defrosted when I started the meatballs but it didn’t make any difference to the end product.  I did however chop up any biggish bits of pepper and onion so there weren’t any larger than a corn kernel. 

Ingredients

500g 5% beef mince

2 tablespoons piri piri seasoning

1 tablespoon mixed herbs/Italian seasoning

½ cup each sweetcorn, peppers and red onions with none bigger than a corn kernel (fresh or frozen)

1 egg to bind

Method

Syn free piri piri meatballs

Combine ingredients ensuring the herbs and spices are evenly distributed

Shape into meatballs using your hands.  Press the meatball firmly together so it doesn’t fall apart

Place on a baking tray, I line the tray with foil.  You don’t have to but it just makes cleaning up a little easier

Set to one side and leave to rest for an hour, if it’s warm you can pop them in the fridge but take them out 10 minutes before you want to cook.  Just be sensible where you leave them, I tend to put them in the utility room wit a tea towel over

 

Pre heat the oven to 180 or gas mark 7

Syn free meatballs

Cook your meatballs for 30-40 minutes until browned.  I turn mine after about 25 minutes.  They are cooked and firm – ie they don’t fall apart when turning – but this also gives the underside some colour

Syn free SOUthern style meatballs

These meatballs are incredibly versatile:

You can store in the fridge as a syn free snack

You can make a sauce using passata and Italian herbs with speed and serve over pasta

You can heat the meatballs and put in lettuce cups instead of a sandwich or you can use your HEB and make a meatball wrap using the Weight Watchers wraps

If you want to freeze them you can, just leave to cool completely and pop in the freezer until you need them next