Mexican Meatballs and Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
with coconut kale

Name: Mexican Meatballs and Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 Red onion, diced; handful of sprigs Cilantro, chopped; 4 cloves Garlic, minced; 1 1/2 lbs Ground pork or turkey; 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs; 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Cumin; 1 Tbsp Coriander; 1/2 Tbsp Paprika ((smoked if you already own it)); 1/2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Kosher salt; 1 can Crushed tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g can) ((fire roasted if you can find it)); 1 cup Coconut milk ((light is fine)); 1 tsp Cinnamon; 4 oz Cotija cheese (opt) ((substitute with feta)); 1 bunch Kale; 2 cloves Garlic, minced; 1/3 cup Coconut milk ((light is fine)); 1/2 Lime, juice of; a pinch Red pepper flakes (opt)

Active: 25 min Total: 40 min

Original

Mexican Meatballs and Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

I love trying different meatball combinations. These Mexican-inspired meatballs are packed with flavor and texture and you will lick the sauce off your plate!

Proteins

Ground meat

Cuisines

Latin

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Mexican Meatballs:

Red onion - 1 , diced
Cilantro - handful of sprigs , chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves , minced
Ground pork or turkey - 1 1/2 lbs
Panko breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup
Cumin - 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp
Coriander - 1 Tbsp
Paprika - 1/2 Tbsp ((smoked if you already own it))
Kosher salt - 1/2 Tbsp + 1 tsp
Crushed tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g can) - 1 can ((fire roasted if you can find it))
Coconut milk - 1 cup ((light is fine))
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Cotija cheese (opt) - 4 oz ((substitute with feta))

Sauteed Coconut Kale:

Kale - 1 bunch
Garlic - 2 cloves , minced
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup ((light is fine))
Lime - 1/2 , juice of
Red pepper flakes (opt) - a pinch

Prep

Red onion / Cilantro / Garlic (for both kale & meatballs) - Prep as directed
Meatballs - Mix together red onion, cilantro, 1/3rd of the garlic, ground meat, panko / breadcrumbs, 1 tbs.(15 ml) cumin, 1 tbs.(15 ml) coriander, 1/2 tbs.(7 ml) paprika, and 1/2 tbs.(7 ml) salt. Form into balls measuring 1.5" (3.75 cm) in diameter and place into a baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap if not making right away
Kale – Tear kale leaves off of stems. Wash and dry leaves in a salad spinner. Rinse stems and chop into ¼” segments

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Make

Preheat oven to 375F (191C) degrees
Make the tomato sauce by mixing together another third of minced garlic, tomatoes, coconut milk, 2 tsp. (10 ml) cumin, 1 tsp. (5 ml) cinnamon, and 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt in a large bowl
Pour tomato sauce over the non-meatballs. If you have some leftover, save it for another time. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes
Start kale by heating the largest saute pan or skillet you own over medium-high heat. Place a small cup of water next to the pan.
Add 2 tbs. (30 ml) of coconut milk to heated pan. When the coconut milk starts bubbling, add rest of garlic. As soon as you can smell the garlic, add the kale stems with a pinch of kosher salt. Saute until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. If the pan dries up, add a tablespoon or two of the water
Now add kale leaves – as much as can fit into the pan – with the remainder of the coconut milk. Turn leaves with tongs so all of them get heated through. Continue adding more leaves as room is made in the pan
When the leaves are wilted, turn off the heat. Season to taste with kosher salt. Add the juice of half a lime and sprinkle with red pepper flakes (amount depends on the level of heat desired). Enjoy with meatballs and your flavorful sauce. Garnish with cheese if you'd like

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