Gluten Free Chili Meatball Tacos

Tomatoes, I love them, and I love sauces made with them, especially Chili Con Carne. But the husband won’t eat mince in a sauce if its in its normal little bobbles form. Meatballs in chili sauce are the answer, squish up the bobbles into balls and he will eat em. So I experimented and made chili meatballs, they were yummy! We had them in gluten free corn taco trays (discovery make them), with sour cream, cheddar cheese and spring onions on top, messy but yum. You can make these any old size you like; I made mine about golf ball size so we had to hack each one in half to fit on the trays.

This recipe is very simple, I’m sure you could work it out, but here it is anyway. This recipe serves two greedy people. Add some more mince and another tin of tomatoes for more people. If you have loads of fresh tomatoes, skin them and use these for an amazing chili sauce.

For the balls
organic lamb mince, 400gms
red onion 1, finely chopped
red chili 1, finely chopped
salt and pepper

For the sauce
good quality tinned tomatoes 1 tin
tomato puree 1 tbsp
white onion 1, chopped
pre mixed chili powder 1 big tbsp (a good one with cayenne pepper, cumin and oregano in, if you get the taco tray ‘kit’ the discovery packet is more than yummy)
garlic 1 clove, chopped
red wine or wed wine vinegar, just a splish
salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg
more oregano if you like!

To serve
chopped spring onion
grated mild cheddar
sour cream
lime wedges

First make the balls, just squish all the mixture up together, season well and make into balls. Bung these in the fridge to firm up.

Now make the sauce, in a wide pan or but hob top pot, gently fry the onions till soft, add the garlic and chili powder and fry for a few more mins. Bung in the whole tin of tomatoes, half a tin of water, a tablespoon of tomato puree and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bubble this gently for 20 mins or so till cooked and thickened.

While the sauce is thickening you can fry the balls. Fry them over a very hot heat, use a big non stick frying pan or fat will go everywhere! Look to make them brown and crunchy on the outside; don’t worry too much about cooking through yet.

When the balls are lovely and brown pop them in the sauce, DON’T STIR! Just leave them poking out the top of the sauce a bit, turn it right down, and pop the lid on for 10 mins. This will make sure the balls are cooked through without drying them out.

To serve I put a portion of balls and sauce each in a nice tapas style bowl, put this on a big plate each , put taco trays around the edge on the plate and all the toppings in bowls on the middle of the table to share. This is only due to being brought up in a family where the number of items of each type you ate would be monitored for fairness, and by fairness I mean the boys eat more but don’t admit it. Habit makes me serve things up in portions each person to avoid the counting malarkey. If you are all able to just eat your fair portion without a table monitor feel free to serve up the balls in the middle of the table for all to share! Hey even sprinkle them with some fresh parsley and lime zest if you want to be fancy!

On a different subject, I have a new job but at the same office, so prêt is still nice and near for lunch. Today they are finally stocking the ‘the amazing handmade wheat-free orange cake’ which says on the packaging that it is ‘inspired party by customers asking for wheat free goodies and partly by one of Nigella’s early books’, so that will be Nigella’s Clementine cake then. Rather similar method and ingredients to Starbucks new wheat free Valencian orange cake I have yet to get my hands on. Wonder if that was some ‘inspiration’ too?

The packet says 'wheat free', the website says 'gluten free', how confusing, this makes a difference in my eyes.

It also says on the packaging that ‘We think its one of the first amazing wheat-free cakes in the world’, which seems a bit over the top, but it is very nice. And at 1.95 for a piddly little slice of cake it needs to be nice. I’m sure though as choice is limited in delis and coffee shops it will sell pretty well. I have had a lot, lot worse; it doesn’t commit any of the usual commercial gluten free cake crimes (crimes=dry, too sweet, cheap and unnatural ingredients, nasty aftertaste). I am also pleased to see it’s made with free-range eggs. I think eating it at my desk is confusing my new team mates, as they think I’m on some healthy diet due to my constant salad consumption, turning down cakes and biscuits because I can’t eat them, and then scoffing what looks like a prêt cake at my desk.

Tastes exactly the same as the Clementine cake recipe on this site though, also ‘inspired’ by Nigella, so you could just make yourself a big one, cut into slices, freeze and then take to work as it defrosts. I am pleased to see the big chains offering something gluten free though, so I will no doubt be buying the occasional one as a treat. Along with my 'just a treat' can of fizzy cola, which I normally avoid, but now I'm 22 weeks pregnant seem to love. Strange eh? Can't drink too much, caffeine isn't great for me! Pregnancy just adds to my list of stuff I shouldn't eat but really want. Like a cornish pastie, slab of brie, juicy steak and a big glass of white wine. All at once please.