Food for the (Gluten Intolerant) Soul

My meatballs recipe is perfect for a healthy life style as it requires no frying, eggs or oil.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 1 small onion
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 zucchini
• 1 celery stem
• 1 small carrot
• 500g lean minced beef (or 250g minced beef and 250g minced turkey)
• Seasoning: salt, black pepper, paprika

Sauce:

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional but highly recommended)
• Seasoning: salt, black pepper, paprika, 2 bay leaves and baharat (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Sauce: In a pan, cook the chopped tomatoes, water, seasoning, and 3 garlic cloves over medium heat until hot and simmering.
2. Chop the Vegetables: In a food processor, finely chop the zucchini, onion, celery, and carrot.
3. Divide the chopped vegetables in half, adding half to the sauce and half to the meat mixture.
4. Make the Meatballs: In a large bowl, mix the minced meat, remaining chopped vegetables, 3 garlic cloves, seasoning, and 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Form the mixture into small meatballs, about golf ball size.
5. Cook the Meatballs: Add the meatballs to the simmering tomato sauce and add the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Cover and cook on low heat for at least 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve: Best served over pasta, rice, or salad. For a crispier texture, you can fry the meatballs before adding them to the sauce. Enjoy!

4o

Recipe reference and US measures

US measures and estimates below are retained from the existing recipe reference.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Hidden Vegetables

• Yield: Not stated
• Prep: Not stated
• Cook: At least 1½ hours

Egg-free beef or beef-and-turkey meatballs simmered with finely chopped vegetables in tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• 1 small onion
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed (3 for sauce and 3 for meatballs)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 small carrot
• 500 g lean minced beef (about 1.1 lb), or 250 g beef and 250 g turkey
• Salt, black pepper and paprika, to taste
• Sauce
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1–2 cups water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Salt, black pepper, paprika, 2 bay leaves and optional baharat, to taste
• Oil for optional frying; quantity not stated

Directions

1. In a pan, combine the chopped tomatoes, water, seasoning and 3 crushed garlic cloves. Heat until simmering.
2. Finely chop the onion, zucchini, celery and small carrot in a food processor. Divide the vegetables in half, adding one half to the sauce and reserving the other half for the meat mixture.
3. In a large bowl, combine the minced meat, reserved vegetables, remaining 3 garlic cloves and seasoning. Add 3 tbsp of the tomato sauce and mix. Shape into small, golf-ball-sized meatballs.
4. Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce. Add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, if using. Cover and simmer on low for at least 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve over pasta, rice or salad. For a crispier texture, the source suggests frying the meatballs before adding them to the sauce; it does not specify the oil amount or frying method.

Notes: The main method simmers without frying or added oil. The optional frying suggestion conflicts with the introduction and has no quantity/method, so it remains optional. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free soy sauce and check the labels on all seasonings and other packaged ingredients. Yield and seasoning amounts are not stated; US measures are approximate.