Double-Herbed Meatballs

I have the January guilt.

I keep pinching my sides, convinced I've piled it on (I have actually gained half a stone) and every time I waddle past the gym, head down, a pang of guilt shoots through me because I have no willpower to actually get my backside in gear. And yet, because of all the stomach stretching I did over the festive period, I'm still eating like it's going out of fashion. In my thrify moods I've been making two portions of my evening meal to take to work for lunch, and instead, I've scoffed it all with protestations of "but it's so cold outside, I need fat on my bones for insulation!"

So instead I've been desperately trying to eat more vegetables. Tonight was my first experiment; instead of making meatballs and pasta or meatballs and rice, I've just bulked it out to make a kind of meatball stew and have foregone my usual carbs. I sense a midnight fridge raid coming on... feel free to eat this with a hunk of crusty bread.

Double-Herbed Meatballs

Serves 2

200gr minced pork
1 medium white onion
2 cloves of garlic
A large pinch of chilli flakes
A handful of curly parsley
4 hefty sprigs of dill
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp tomato puree
A small glass of white wine
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of cannellini beans
Salt & pepper

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. In a sauce pan, heat up some oil and add the onion. Fry until translucent, and then add the garlic. Sweat very gently with the pinch of chilli. When it's softened, add the glass of white wine and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, chop the herbs finely and add it to the pork. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Bash the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, and then add them. With your hands, make sure all the herbs are evenly mixed into the meat. Roll the meat into ping pong sized balls.

Add the tomato puree and the tin of tomatoes and bring to the simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the meatballs, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add the rinsed cannellini beans about 10 mins before the end. I simmered mine for about 30 minutes, until it got thick. Serve (in my case) atop a pile of steamed Savoy cabbage with a dollop of creme fraiche.