Moroccan Meatballs In Tomato Sauce : IHCC

Another week of Rick Bayless recipes over at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). I'm having a good time cooking from unfamiliar zone!  This week's theme is "Potluck", we are free to cook any of Rick Bayless's recipes.

This dish uses very little ingredients, I have everything in my pantry, except of course, the lamb and fresh parsley. I was curious as how it would turned out with so little ingredients, and was surprised when I had a taste of the sauce after cooking. Delicious!

The meatball mixture are made up of minced meat, cumin, paprika, chopped parsley and salt, they are rolled into 1" balls. Rick says to use a 10 inch saucepan or skillet, as size is important. Well, listen to what the chef says! The 10" saucepan fits all the meatballs perfectly in one single layer! But to swirl gently to coat the meatballs with the sauce, this I can't do, I'm afraid clumsy me would get the sauce out of the pan instead! Hey, I'm not a chef, just look at that pan of meatballs, I can't do it! So I use a spoon instead, to scoop and cover the sauce all over the meatballs! Continue to simmer until the meatballs are fully cooked, about 15 minutes.

These are really delicious! Both the meatballs and the sauce have the pleasant scent of the cumin. The meatballs are chewy and delicious! Here I have used a mixture of lamb and minced pork, as I'm afraid that by using all ground lamb, the smell might be too strong for my kids, as we do not eat lamb very often. So I have used a third of ground lamb with two thirds of ground pork.

The sauce is very tasty and sweet with a slight tinge of sourness. We had this served over spaghetti.

But the next time, I'm gonna double up on the sauce if I'm having this with pasta, as my family loves lots of sauce over their pasta, especially the hubby!

Please stop by I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) to see all the other yummies from Rick Bayless's recipes.

I'm sharing this too with 

Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Moroccan Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
(source from : The Splendid Table, recipe by Rick Bayless)
Ingredients 
1-1/4 pounds ground beef or lamb
3 teaspoons paprika, divided use (Moroccan paprika is medium-hot - add a little cayenne if yours isn't hot enough for you)
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided use
12 large fresh parsley sprigs, divided use
salt
1 large garlic clove
one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small onion

1. Make meatballs : Place beef or lamb in a large bowl. Measure in 1-1/2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, half of the chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix or knead to thoroughly distribute flavorings through meat. Roll meat into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon meat mixture), laying each on a plate as rolled. Set aside.
2. Make sauce : Turn on food processor. Drop garlic through feed tube. Let machine run until garlic is chopped, then stop. Remove lid and scrape down garlic from sides of processor. Add tomatoes, olive oil, tomato paste and onion. Add remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin and parsley. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until nearly smooth. Scrape into pan or deep skillet that is about 10 inches across (size is important here). Set over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Cook meatballs and serve : Remove pan from heat. Nestle meatballs into sauce in a single layer. Swirl pan gently to ensure all meatballs have sauce over the top. Set over medium heat, set lid slightly ajar and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Taste and stir in more salt if you think necessary. If sauce is very thick, add a little water. Spoon onto individual plates and serve.