Travel the world with mince and meatballs
SOMETIMES we can travel the world with mince just from what’s in the fridge.
This week a couple of home grown recipes. My ‘made up’ chicken meatball minestrone – because I had leftover chicken from one of those bulk packs! Jenny Piper Owner, Business Publishing Group
‘Whatever is in the Fridge’ Meatball Minestrone
INGREDIENTS
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 2 rashers bacon, chop into
small pieces
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp oil
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes • 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups water or stock
• 2 stock cubes (if using water)
• Any other veggies you want to use up – mushrooms, zucchini, green beans or add a tin of beans • Fresh or dried herbs – basil, oregano • Parmesan to serve
• Salt & pepper to taste MEATBALLS
• Any mince – I used 1 large chicken breast. Made into mince in the food processor.
• Breadcrumbs – maybe ½ cup depending on how much mince you have. • Garlic - optional • Shake of herbs – I used Italian mixed blend
• 1 tsp pesto (obsessed with pesto so always in the fridge)
• 1 egg beaten – may not need it all, don’t want the mix to be too wet
METHOD
To make the meatballs: place all the ingredients in a bowl except egg. Add enough beaten egg to help bind all the ingredients, you don’t want it too moist as its hard to make into balls.
Make mini meatballs and pan fry until browned on all sides. They don’t need to be cooked through.
For the soup:
Place oil in saucepan. Cook onion, carrot and celery until beginning to soften. Add bacon and garlic and cook until bacon starting to brown. Add tin of tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and stock. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then add veggies and meatballs, cook until veggies at tenderness you like. Season with salt and pepper. If you want it a little heartier you can add pasta, risoni or pearl barley with the vegetable and cook until its cooked through. You will need to increase the amount of liquid if adding these.
Serve with some parmesan on top.