Paprika Meatballs with Couscous

By debrcovey

Ingredients

• Makes about 24 meatballs and 3 cups of sauce and 3 cups of coucous
• 1 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 teaspoons Mediterranean Spice mix or a mixture of salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup broth
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups broth
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped (canned is fine)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup couscous
• 1 cup peas

Preparation

Step 1

Combine chuck, crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, spices, milk, broth and eggs. Gently mix with your hands until well combined. Shape into 2” balls and either brown in a sauté pan with a bit of olive oil or place on a lightly sprayed sheet pan and bake at 350° for about 10 minutes- they do not need to be cooked through. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, drizzle a bit of olive oil and add peppers and onions. Cook for 8-10 minutes, over medium heat until softened. Add paprika and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more. Deglaze pan with wine and simmer wine and pepper mixture for about 3 minutes more, reducing wine by half. Add broth and tomatoes and salt to taste. Reduce heat and cook for 12-15 minutes until sauce has thickened up a bit. Add meatballs, cover and simmer 4-5 minutes more. Off heat stir in the sour cream. Serve with couscous.

For couscous bring broth and salt to a boil. Add couscous and peas. Cover and remove from heat and allow to steam for about 5 minutes. Fluff before serving