Time: 60 minutes

Seriously delicious, fast and healthy…. perfect for a cold day when you want to be held closer…

Music Selection: Elton John & Britney Spears – Hold Me Closer

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 ½ lbs ground beef, lamb, game or combination

¼ cup olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 Tbsp finely chopped parsley and/or cilantro

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

Salt/pepper

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cinnamon

Sauce:

398 mL passata

1 cup diced tomato

½ onion, finely diced

1 shallot, finely diced

½ red pepper, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp smoked paprika

1 ½ tsp cumin

Salt/pepper

1 – 2 finely diced and seeded red or green chili pepper

Additional chopped fresh parsley and cilantro for garnish

6 – 8 eggs (1 to 2 eggs per person)

Baguette, sliced in ½ inch diagonal slices or couscous (about 1 cup per person)

Directions:

In large bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients well. Roll into small (cherry sized) meatballs. Set aside.

Heat tagine, according to your tagine instructions or use a large deep pan that has a lid. Heat the oil.

Saute the onion and red pepper until onion is translucent. Add in the garlic and saute a little longer.

Add in the passata, tomatoes, about ½ cup of water and spices. Heat until sauce is fairly thick.

Then add the meatballs gently, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove lid and gently break and place each egg on top of the meatballs (you don’t want them to submerge). Salt and pepper the eggs. Place the lid on and cook until eggs are lightly set and still runny. Remove from heat.

In meantime, toast the bread or make the couscous.

To serve, place couscous in a deep pasta dish or bowl if serving with couscous. Scoop some sauce, meatballs and egg in bowl. Top with extra cilantro/parsley. Dip bread in and enjoy. This is great for breakfast or as a dinner dish with a good beer.