Baked Meatballs

Ingredients

500g grated cheese

For the Meatballs

700g mince(d) beef
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
3 tablespoons herbes de provence
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon chilli purée (optional)

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 200°C
2.Place a sheet of aluminium foil on a baking tray
3.In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients
4.Mix together thoroughly
5.Roll the mixture into a big ball
6.Divide the mixture into sixteen (half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth)
7.Roll each 16th into a ball
8.Place on the baking tray,
9.Bake in oven for 10 mins, or until just browning

For the Sauce

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 large tomatoes, chopped finely/ 500ml passata
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon sage
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Method

1.In a small saucepan heat the olive oil
2.Add all the ingredients
3.Stir constantly until piping hot
4.Take off the heat and leave to cool
5.In a large, shallow oven proof dish add the meatballs
6.Cover the meatballs with the tomato sauce, mix well
7.Cover the mix with grated cheese
8.Place in the oven for 15-20 mins, or until cheese bubbles

Serve with pasta and warm baguette.

Serves : 4
Preparation : 15 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins

Baked Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 potato, peeled & grated
1 onion, peeled & grated/chopped very finely
1 teaspoon basil
700g mince(d) beef
salt & pepper

Spice lovers add :

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teqspoon chilli purée/1 chilli chopped finely

Method

1.In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients
2.Mix together throughly
3.Pour the mixture in a loaf tin, shaping into a bread loaf
4.Bake at 180°C for 1 hour, or until meat is cooked through.

Serves : 4
Preparation : 5 mins
Cooking time : 1 hour

1001 Things to do with mince(d) beef

I don't know about you but I am a huge carnivore. I don't feel like I've really had a meal unless meat is involved. Unfortunately on a pauper's budget this can sometimes be difficult to achieve. Or can it?

I must say I've given up on chicken. It's not a very interesting meat to start with but the supermarkets have decided to make it a delicacy and are selling it at the same price of duck! Maybe this is just in France, but in any case I refuse to pay 13€ for 6 chicken filets!

My boyfriend doesn't eat pork so even though it is the cheapest and in my opinion best meat out there (mmmmmmmmmm, bacon sandwiches!) for our meals together I am obliged to over look this delicious option for dinner.

So I've set myself a goal, find the most possible recipes for mince(d) beef. I've been experimenting and have been pleasantly surprised by this seemingly boring option. Extra bonus I can buy a kilo of very good quality mince for 2,99€ in my local supermarket.

So here are a couple of my 1001 things to do with mince(d) beef to wet your appetite.

Enjoy!

I can't believe it's been nearly a year!

I apologise profusely for anyone who had started to follow this blog and I abruptly ended just as soon as I had started.

Unfortunately life is full of twists and turns that demand attention when you'd rather being doing things you love, like blogging for example!

Anyway, here I am. Luckily, even though I haven't posted for nearly a year, I have still been cooking so I now have masses of concoctions to share with you all.