Dinner Plans

Stretch the holidays (and your bank balance) with these crafty ideas for weeknight suppers – from a 30-minute pork belly and Mediterranean-style steak salad, to Bovril-enriched meatballs and a simple pasta that can be served hot or cold

BEEF-AND-BOVRIL MEATBALLS

Serves 4

EASY

GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 35 minutes

beef mince 500 g

parsley 2 T, chopped

onion 1, grated

free-range egg 1

breadcrumbs 50 g sea salt and white pepper, to taste oil, for frying

mashed potato, for serving

For the gravy:

onions 2, quartered

Bovril 1 T

water 1 cup

1 To make the meatballs, mix the mince, parsley, onion, egg, breadcrumbs and seasoning. Roll into small balls, approximately 5 cm in size. Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the meatballs in batches over a medium heat. Cover with foil to keep warm.

2 To make the gravy, cook the onions in the same pan until golden brown. Add the Bovril and water. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3 To serve, spoon the meatballs into bowls, spoon over the gravy and mashed potato.

Cook’s note: Cover halved gem squash with olive oil and seasoning, then roast until tender. Serve with meatballs. DAIRY-FREE WINE: Kevin Arnold Shiraz 2019

COOK’S TIP:

The Bovril adds an instant hit of umami and is a great standby pantry staple to use instead of stock. Serve with wholegrain mustard mash and buttered gem squash.

MAKE AHEAD: Make a double batch of meatballs and freeze. You can then cook them from frozen – pan-fry, then finish off in the oven.