Gardener Meatballs

How to make dumplings to the planter .

It is a very homemade meat recipe , a good option to prepare in your weekly menu and one of those dishes that everyone likes.

A recipe with all the good things about vegetables and with tender meat balls and perfect for the little ones because they are eaten very easily.

As you may already know, meatballs are nothing more than balls of a dough composed mainly of meat (generally beef or a mixture of beef and pork) to which are added egg and various condiments.

I present you a recipe similar to meatballs with tomato  or meatballs in sauce , but where we are going to incorporate a multitude of vegetables to give them more flavor. A way to eat meat and vegetables in a healthy and delicious way.

The origin of the word meatball is attributed to the Arabic word al-bunduqa, which literally meant “the ball”.

It is a dish that has become so widespread since its invention that, with different variants, today it is prepared almost everywhere in the world. Leaving all this information aside, we go for a surprising and simple alternative to a recipe of a lifetime.

In my family, meatballs in garden sauce have always been welcome at the table. Now I am the one who prepares them for family and friends, my mother’s recipe has not changed.

It is still almost 90% as I remember it as a child although I have introduced mushrooms to the list of ingredients, because I am passionate about them.

A recipe as homemade and traditional as a good meat stew . Very complete and tasty, it is worth incorporating into all recipes. I hope you like it and you will prepare them at home.

Preparation of the meat. Beef and meat dumplings.

1. We peel the onion, wash it a little under running water, so we can remove that strong flavor.
2. We cut into segments to chop it more easily. If you have a grinder much better. This way it will not be seen in the meat mass but if its flavor, we reserve.
3. We do the same with the garlic clove, very minced, if you have the garlic crusher better, this way it will integrate better into the meat. We reserve.
4. Season the minced meat, both pork and beef in a large bowl. We break the 2 eggs and add them to the meat.
5. The slices of bread without the crust that we have previously soaked in milk for a few minutes. Finally, the onion and garlic, crushed or very minced (without the inner sprout or trunk so that it does not repeat).
6. We remove everything well with the hands until the ingredients are mixed. This will be the base of our future meatballs.
7. Without fear we begin to work the dough making small (or large, that to taste) balls that we will then pass through flour. We leave them on a plate waiting for the pan.
8. We shake them a little to remove the excess flour and fry in very hot extra virgin olive oil. About three minutes is enough.
9. We let them rest on a plate with absorbent paper so that they release the excess oil.
10. While they rest we can fry some potatoes with the type of cut that you like the most. It is a possibility of accompaniment.

Preparation of the sauce to the planter

1. We continue with the sauce, for which we are going to peel the onions, wash them well and chop very fine.
2. We remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut into segments and then cut into small cubes. We reserve.
3. We cut the pepper into square pieces of the same size. We wash the mushrooms and laminate. We reserve.
4. We put a casserole on the fire and cover the base with extra virgin olive oil.
5. Add the minced garlic and sauté. We introduce the onion to the saucepan when the garlic begins to brown and stir. We put a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. While the onion is cooking, cut the carrot into cubes of the same size.
7. Add the carrot, mushrooms and tomato to the casserole. Cook for 5-8 minutes on medium low heat. Pour in the wine and simmer for about 15 minutes or so until a creamy sauce is made.
8. Finally we introduce the meatballs and the peas. Pour the meat broth until it covers the meatballs in half.
9. Let the sauce thicken for about 10 minutes over medium heat (the meatballs are fried with a little flour).
10. This little touch of flour will help to bind the sauce and finish cooking the meatballs, giving a spectacular sauce.
11. We test if they are well of salt, if necessary we rectify with salt and pepper. Stir and let cook another 5 minutes.
12. We can decorate with a little parsley or chopped chives. We serve them very hot.

Here you have a step by step in photos where I show how to prepare this meatball recipe .  Do not miss any detail so that they come out perfect.

Tips for some meaty dumplings

There are hundreds of meatballs in the garden, this recipe is one more, that of my house. The final results are similar to those of potato tortillas or croquettes from each house , no two are the same. Some recommendations to improve your recipe.

• If you see that you have not drained the bread that you have soaked in milk and that the mixture does not fit well, it is because there is plenty of moisture. You can add a little breadcrumb to make it compact, united but juicy. It should never be dry, but instead of meat balls you will have stones.
• Not only are they even tastier overnight, but they can also be frozen without any problems. So you can enjoy them at any time and plan your weekly menu without problem.
• If we use frozen peas, they will need a little more time to cook, about 10 minutes.
• The amount of meat stock will depend on the casserole that we are going to use. We will use just the broth to cover the meatballs, if we do not have broth, you can do it with water.
• If the sauce is too loose, we can thicken it by diluting a little (one teaspoon) of cornstarch in a glass with a little of the sauce. Then we will incorporate the meatballs.
• In this recipe we have opted for some microwaved potatoes. Although these meatballs do not need more than a garnish of fried potatoes, white rice , a good mashed potato  or the like to get a complete meal. A very tasty first complete dish perfect for the weekly menu.
• On the blog you can see that I am passionate about these meat balls. You can see them in a thousand ways, the classic meatballs with tomato , with an exotic touch that curry gives .
• The famous meatballs Greek tomato without meat, fish, salmon and prawns ,  of oxtail as ratatouille, with nuts  or those that I present today … the more you like them .