One of my go-to mid-week meals has always been pasta with meatballs and a jarred sauce. That was until I started Slimming World and I discovered the jarred sauce I was using came in at 15 syns... ouch. In an attempt to rectify this and make something SW-friendly, this little concoction formed! Slightly Asian-flavoured, the ginger, coriander and soy sauce make the turkey taste so much more interesting and it really works. I buy my turkey mince from Lidl - it's under two quid a pack. For the meatballs (makes 12)450g lean turkey minceHandful fresh coriander, finely chopped1 tablespoon soy sauce1 inch squeeze ginger paste 1 egg yolk
For the tomato sauce1 tin chopped tomatoes1 tablespoon tomato purée1 onion, diced3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 fresh tomatoes, diced1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar3 balls frozen spinach1 teaspoon dijon mustard1 teaspoon sugar1 vegetable stock cube
2 spring onions (sliced horizontally) to serve
Start by throwing all the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix with your hands. So satisfying! Form into twelve balls using your hands. Put a non-stick frying pan on the heat with a few sprays of Fry Light and when hot, place your meatballs in to seal. Turn every couple of minutes and when sealed all over, pop into a non-stick baking tray and cook on about 180c for about 20 minutes. A couple of minutes before the end throw in the spring onions to the baking tray to soften slightly.
For the sauce, fry (in Fry Light) the diced onion on a medium heat for a few minutes before adding the garlic and tomato purée and keep frying for a couple of minutes. When the onions are soft, add the tinned tomatoes and then refill the tin with water and stir through. Add the chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, stock cube and spinach balls and simmer away on a low heat for 30 minutes or so. If it gets too thick, add some more water. You want it to be thick when serving, so make sure you cook it down thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Served with pasta, this meal is completed free on Slimming World. Make sure you use lean Turkey mince (around 5% fat if possible, but I settle for approx 7% turkey mince from Lidl) and Fry Light instead of oil. Granted, the ginger paste contains a little oil... but preparing ginger yourself if such a faff, I'll take this any day. Let's not be pedantic!
Tip: make a load of the meatballs and sauce and freeze (separately) for mid-week ease.
