Albóndigas con Salsa de Tomate (Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

As some of you may know, I used to be a high school Spanish teacher. Along with the gig came lots of different recipe books for Spanish speaking countries. I've never actually tried any of these recipes, until tonight. This recipe comes from the book "Spanish" by Pepita Aris, and I got it at one of those $5 sales at Borders, thinking it would be perfect for my classroom.

Much like the Arroz con Pollo, I was so impressed by the amount of healthy, natural ingredients in this recipe, and I can't wait to try more from the book. Although the ingredient list is a little lengthy, look closely because I bet you have a lot of these things already in your refrigerator.

I made the meatballs with beef tonight, but you could easily substitute a lean turkey to make it even healthier. We had it as our main dish, but I might recommend trying them as a side or an appetizer, because while they are absolutely delicious, and somewhat filling, I'm not sure they qualify as a complete meal. In Spain they are served as tapas, little appetizers often served at bars along with a yummy Spanish drink and some of their amazing crusty bread.

I hope you enjoy making these. I will say, this is one of those wonderful recipes that tastes just as good as it smells, and these smell fantastic!

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey, minced
• 4 scallions, thinly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp red or dry white wine
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• pinch of shugar
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• fresh thyme, to garnish

Directions

1. Put the minced beef in a bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, Parmesan, thyme, and plenty of salt and pepper.
2. Stir well to combine, then shape the mixture into 12-14 small firm balls.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the meatballs for about 5 minutes over medium heat, turing frequently, until evenly browned all over.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine, rosemary, and sugar to the pan, with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook about 10-15 minutes until the tomaotes are pulpy and the meatballs are cooked through.
   
6. Check the sauce for seasoning and serve the meatballs hot, garnished with the thyme.

Source: "Spanish" by Pepita Aris