Chilli Meatballs with Green Rice

I’ve cheated slightly with this recipe as I’ve used a packet mix and synned it – to be honest I didn’t have a huge amount of time as I was batch cooking and needed to get a shimmy on to cook everything on my list.  Because of the seasoning these meatballs are 1 syn for 10 which is fine to me but if you blend your own seasonings they will be syn free

Now, green rice.  It sounds like something we’d make to hide broccoli from the kids but that isn’t the case.  This is a lemon and coriander rice and absolutely delicious – fragrant and refreshing which cuts through the spice of the chili sauce perfectly.

The meatballs make 60 so they’re ideal for freezing or a taster night 

Ingredients

Meatballs:

500g 5% minced beef

750g 5% minced pork

1 egg

1 packet Schwartz hot chilli seasoning (5.5 syns)

2 tins Tesco taco beans in spicy sauce (free)

1 jar passata (free)

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon chicken seasoning

1 teaspoon Italian mixed herbs

Green rice:

2 packets boil in the bag rice

1 bunch fresh coriander

1 lemon

Method

Put both packs of mince in a large bowl and break up lightly with your fingers, just lightly separating the meat

Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the top and add the egg

Chilli meatball mix - blended and ready to shape

With your hands (sorry but it really is the easiest way) mix everything thoroughly making sure the seasoning is well distributed and there aren’t chunks of pork or beef – it’s a blend.  You add the egg to bind it all and stop the meatballs falling apart during cooking

Shape meatballs and leave to sit for an hour

Now is the tedious bit.  Shape your meatballs.  OK, I admit it, this is boring but hey, you get 60 meatballs so it’s not like you have to do it every day.  Put a blob of the mince mixture in the palm of your hand and press firmly.  Don’t be tempted to make massive meatballs just to speed it up, they’re too ‘meaty’.  Keep them slightly bigger than gobstopper size so they’re easy to eat.

Pop the shaped meatballs on baking trays and leave to one side for about an hour.  

Once they’ve sat, bake at gas mark 6 or 180 for about 25 minutes until brown

Cook spicy chilli meatballs until browned

At this stage you can cool and freeze them or you can put in any sauce you like (or you can just eat them as they are, they’re more than tasty enough)

My quick spicy sauce was simple: empty the cans of Tesco taco beans in spicy sauce into a pan, add the passata and herbs/spices.  Stir through and add the desired number of meatballs to the sauce.  Heat thoroughly and serve immediately

Green rice

Cook your boil in the bag rice according to pack instructions

Once the rice is in the sieve ready to serve put your coriander in a hand whizzer (keeping a few leaves for garnish) along with the juice of a lemon and two tablespoons of water.  Whizz into a liquid 

Put the hot rice and coriander mix into a bowl and stir through until the rice is evenly coated and serve immediately

1 syn chilli meatballs with green rice