Gingery Meatballs in Tomato Sauce 

This delicious 30-minute Asian inspired meal is perfect for busy weeknights. Most meatballs in tomato sauce rely on canned tomatoes for the kind of heady, garlicky recipe that’s typically spooned over spaghetti. But this recipe is made from briefly cooked fresh tomatoes for something lighter and brighter, seasoned with ginger, cilantro, lime juice and a dusting of cumin. Feel free to use any kind of ground meat here: pork, beef, turkey, chicken, lamb or vegan meat. Then, serve it with a fresh green salad and crusty whole grain bread to catch all of the zippy, fragrant sauce. Ginger and garlic are both excellent sources of disease-fighting antioxidants. Ginger contains bioactive gingerol, known to be anti-inflammatory and gut friendly. It improves digestion and may help you lose weight. It may also help manage arthritis and menstrual symptoms. Garlic is immune boosting and may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

· 2 tablespoons finely grated or minced fresh ginger

· 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin, more for serving

· 1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt, more as needed

· ½ teaspoon ground coriander

· 1 pound ground pork (or turkey, chicken, beef, lamb or vegan meat)

· ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (or use plain)

· 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, more for serving

· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· 2 cups diced fresh ripe or over ripe tomatoes

· 1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce

· 4 scallions, thinly sliced

· 1 lime, halved

Cooking Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon ginger, the garlic, cumin, salt and coriander. Add pork, panko, and cilantro. Using your hands, gently mix everything together, making sure not to overwork the mixture. (Otherwise, the meatballs get tough.) Form into 1¼-inch balls.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high, then add the oil and let it heat up until it thins out. Add meatballs in one layer. Cook, turning and shaking the pan, until meatballs are browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Move meatballs to one side of the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger to the empty side of the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, fish sauce and a pinch of salt to the empty side of the pan. When tomatoes are simmering, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and let cook until the meatballs are no longer pink at the center, about 5 to 8 minutes longer.

4. Uncover the pan. Mix the scallions into the sauce. Squeeze lime juice all over everything, then stir together. Taste and add salt and lime juice as needed. Serve the meatballs sprinkled with more cumin and topped with cilantro.

Nutrition per serving
416 calories; 31 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 2 grams fiber; 3 grams sugar; 560 milligrams sodium

Recipe by Melissa Clark, NY Times  

‍