The apple makes these really moist and gives them a hint of sweetness that kids particularly love. It’s very easy to increase the quantities to feed the whole family.
Serves
Makes eight meatballs
Ingredients
For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp tomato purée
300ml water
2 good handfuls curly kale (about 120g)
4 baby sweetcorn
6 dried apricots
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
15 seedless grapes
Freshly ground black pepper
For the meatballs
200g minced pork
½ small apple, finely grated
¼ small onion, very finely chopped
1 tsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Olive oil, for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic. Stir in all the remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Blend the sauce using a liquidiser or hand-held blender. Its nice to still see flecks of the different vegetables. Adjust the consistency of the sauce to personal taste, adding a little water if needed.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
Combine all the meatball ingredients really well in a bowl and with damp hands (this makes them easier to shape) form into small equal-sized meatballs. Heat a little oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Fry the meatballs for a couple of minutes until they take on some colour. Transfer the pan to the oven for a further 8 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
