Sage meatballs on tomato, lentil and chili

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 400 g minced meat, half and half
• 30 g breadcrumbs
• 4 leaves of sage, fresh, chopped
• 1 tsp herbs de Provence
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 30 g Parmesan
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tsp salt
• some pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 30 g tomato paste
• 1 can of tomatoes, peeled
• 5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp thyme, dried
• 1 shot of balsamic vinegar
• 250 g lentils, brown, pre-cooked
• 1 chili pepper(s), without seeds, increase number according to desired spiciness
• 1 tsp salt
• some pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Low-fat oven-baked meatballs with a fruity and spicy side dish

Sage Meatballs: Mix all ingredients and roll into small balls, about the size of chestnuts. This yields about 25 mini balls. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the meatballs on the sheet. Grill in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes, or until crispy. Grill with fan is best if you have a grill setting. Tomato Sauce with Lentils: Finely dice the carrot and sauté in olive oil until soft. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, and chili pepper (to taste) and sauté without browning until soft. Deglaze with a generous splash of balsamic vinegar and let the vinegar evaporate. Add the canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and tomato paste. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer everything on low heat for about 10 minutes. If the pieces are too large for your liking, you can use a hand blender to briefly purée the remaining tomato pieces in the pot until coarsely ground. Then add the precooked lentils and let them simmer for about 5 minutes. Arrange the meatballs on top of the lentil and tomato chili and garnish with sage and Parmesan cheese, if desired. The lentil and tomato chili is also delicious without the meatballs.