A traditional dish of the orient: Greek Meatballs or Soutzoukakia!

Well, Soutzoukakia is loved by almost everyone..it is easy, yummy and a comfort food for everyone, both kids and adults!

The most mouth drooling combination is with French fries, but I like it better accompanied with white rise. You can choose your own combination.. Even straight or with a green salad! Pick your own magical ‘drool-ination’!

Now, onto our ingredients:

Meatballs’ ingredients: ½ kg ground beef, 3 slices of white breadcrumbs soaked in red wine, ½ grated onion, 1 egg (optional), cumin, 1 grated clove of garlic, 2-3 leaves of chopped parsley, 3 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato sauce ingredients: 1kgr of fresh tomatoes peeled and melted, 1 grated onion, 1 grated clove of garlic, cumin, 1 tbsp tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of sugar, 3 tbsp of olive oil, 1 small glass of red wine

Rice: the ratio is 1 glass of rice, 3 glasses of water (alternatively you can add vegetables’ broth if you have), pine nuts, 1 small onion melted, 1small tbsp of butter, 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt

To prepare your meatballs, you mix all your ingredients together and knead the ground beef with your hands. In case the mixture looks firm, you may add a little water. You form the mixture into oval shapes. You cook them until brown: the healthiest way is to bake them in the oven for 20’ in 180C, with a little olive oil. Otherwise, the most tasteful way is to fry them. I followed the first option.

To prepare the sauce, you first sauté the onion and the garlic in olive oil, in a frying pan for 2-3’. You add 1 small glass of red wine. You add the tomato paste. Then add the melted tomatoes, the salt, pepper, sugar and the cumin. Let it simmer for 10’ and place the meatballs in the pan. Cover the pan. Let them rest in a law heat for 10-15’ and remove them from fire. Et voila!

To prepare your rise, melt the butter in your pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onion; add the pine nuts. Let them become a little brown. Add the water or broth and the salt and let the water boil. Add the rise and let it boil for 10’ in high temperature. Turn off the fire, cover your rice and let it absorb the rest of the waters.

Until next time, enjoy!