Paleo Meatballs and Sauce

Who doesn't love a good meatball and marinara meal? Nom nom nom! This was one of the first recipes I tried on paleo. I became impatient and it turned out more like a chili, but it was still zesty and delicious! I know it looks intimidating at first with all the ingredients, but the majority of them are just spices you probably already have. I actually spent very little money on this recipe! :-)

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

~1 lb ground beef
~1 small onion, grated or finely chopped
~2 tablespoons ground cumin
~1 tablespoon paprika
~1/2 teaspoon pepper
~1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
~1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
~1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
~2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
~1 egg

For Sauce:

~2 tablespoons olive oil
~2 medium onions chopped
~4 garlic cloves minced
~2 teaspoons ground cumin
~1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~pinch of cayenne
~1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
~2 cups crushed tomatoes (organic)
~1 cup of beef broth (I bought organic)


Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the beef with all ingredients. Roll into one inch balls and set aside. (Yes, I did do this step, which ended up being a waste of time for me)
2. Heat olive oil in bottom of a saute pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and parsley, and cook for 5 more minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the tomato sauce and beef broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Brown the meatballs in a pan over high heat with a little coconut oil. Then add to the sauce, cook for 15 minutes, and serve the meatballs. (my meatballs were taking FOREVER, so I ended up just chopping them up and mixing them in with the sauce to creat more of a chili. Tasted awesome!)

Tips

~I get really irritated while dicing onions. It is one of the most tedious tasks, in my opinion. If you pull a Rayna and decide to just mix the cooked meat in with the sauce to create a chili, I believe you can cut down to just one onion in the sauce since there is already 1 onion mixed into the meat. I didn't find a third to be necessary.
~The serving suggestion is to serve the meatballs over fried kale or spinach, but honestly, if you do it as a chili that is just not necessary.