Meatballs with fennel & balsamic beans & courgette noodles
Swap pasta for courgette noodles. They’re rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.
SERVES 4 (2 for dinner, 2 for lunch) PREP 35 mins COOK 40 mins EASY G meatballs only
400g lean beef steak mince
2 tsp dried oregano
1 large egg
8 garlic cloves, 1 inely grated,
1 sliced
1 2 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and inely
chopped, fronds reserved 2 carrots, inely chopped 500g passata
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 600ml low-salt vegetable bouillon
For the courgette noodles
1 tsp olive oil
1 2 large courgettes, spiralized or
peeled into strips
350g frozen soya beans, defrosted 1 Combine the mince, oregano, egg, grated garlic and some black pepper in a bowl. Form into 16 meatballs.
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, and fry the meatballs, stirring until brown all over (be careful as they’re quite delicate). Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat and fry the fennel, carrots and sliced garlic for 5 mins, stirring until soft. 3 Tip in the passata, vinegar and bouillon, stir, then return the meatballs to the pan. Cover and cook for 20-25 mins.
4 Meanwhile, for the ‘noodles’, heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the courgette and beans until softened. Serve half with half the meatballs and a scattering of fennel fronds. Leave the rest to cool, then chill for the next day. The meatballs will keep frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Leave to cool completely first.
GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low fat • low cal • folate • ibre • vit c • iron • 4 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING 380 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 3g • carbs 20g • sugars 15g • ibre 11g • protein 37g
• salt 0.5g