From 1 yearLunch and dinnerUnder review by our nutritionist
Beef and spinach meatballs in tomato sauce
Little ground beef meatballs with spinach hidden inside, simmered in a homemade tomato sauce. Meat and dark leafy greens together: a double dose of iron, in a dish the whole family eats. No salt, no bouillon and no canned sauce.
- Difficulty
- 4 out of 5
- Ingredients
- 2 out of 5
- Time
- 3 out of 5, 45 min45 min
Free plan: this is recipe 1 of 3 this month.Subscribe to see them all
Makes 4 servings (baby and family) Freezer-friendly Contains: egg
Ingredients
- 10½ oz (300 g) lean ground beef
- 1 small bunch spinach (leaves only, about 2 handfuls)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp quick-cooking oats
- 1 onion, finely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- chopped basil or parsley, to taste
How to make
- 1Rinse the spinach, cook the leaves in a little water for 2 minutes, drain well, squeeze out the water and chop very finely.
- 2In a bowl, mix the beef, the spinach, the egg, the oats and half of the onion and garlic. Shape into small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.
- 3In a wide pan, sauté the rest of the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and ½ cup water, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until it turns into a sauce.
- 4Place the meatballs in the sauce, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, turning them halfway, until cooked through.
- 5Turn off the heat, add the basil and let it cool to lukewarm. For your baby, cut each meatball into 4.
Tips
- Texture (1 to 2 years): this is family food. Cut the meatballs into 4 and check that the meat is well cooked and soft. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
- Double iron: meat has the iron the body absorbs best, and spinach helps. The tomato in the sauce, with its vitamin C, completes it.
- No salt in the pan: adults salt their own plates. The egg and the oats are only there to bind.
- To vary: swap the spinach for finely chopped collard greens (or kale), and the beef for ground chicken.
- Storage: freeze the meatballs with the sauce, in portions, for up to 1 month. In the fridge, up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.