Homemade meatballs

Preparation

1. Recipe for meatballs: Preparation

2. Soak the bread roll in water (or in milk, vegetable or beef stock for more flavor) for 5-10 minutes, squeeze it out well and crush it. The bread roll should be soft, but no longer watery, so that it binds the minced meat mixture well and the meatballs are juicy.
   
   If you don't have bread rolls, you can use breadcrumbs instead (approx. 2 tbsp).
   
   Vegetable version: Mash or roughly puree the chickpeas (the main source of protein in this recipe, together with the oats, which also contain a lot of protein) and finely grate the carrot.

3. In a large bowl, mix the minced meat, bread roll and egg together thoroughly, preferably with your hands, until the ingredients form a loose mixture.
   
   Vegetable version: Mix the chickpeas, oat flakes, grated carrot, tomato puree and soy sauce and leave to infuse briefly so that the ingredients bind better.

4. Add the mustard and paprika powder and season with pepper and finely chopped parsley to taste for a fresher touch.

5. Finally, add the croquant d'oignon rouge from Jardin Intense for that certain something and leave the mixture to rest for a few minutes.
   Meatballs are wonderful to prepare. Prepare the mixture the day before and keep it tightly sealed in the fridge. The spices will infuse longer, the meatballs will be even more aromatic and the preparation time the next day will be shorter!

6. With moistened hands, divide the mixture into 8 portions, shape into evenly sized meatballs and flatten slightly for better cooking.
   The vegetable mixture is slightly softer, but is easy to shape. If necessary, you can add more oat flakes or chickpeas.

7. Heat a little oil or fat of your choice in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the meatballs over a medium heat for approx. 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown. Turn the meatballs when a crust has formed.
   
   The perfect cooking point: meatballs are cooked when the meat juices in the pan run clear or they have reached a temperature of 70 °C inside.
   
   Be particularly careful when turning the meatballs, as the meat will fall apart more easily than meat. It is best to use a spatula with a wide surface!

8. Serving tip: Sprinkle the meatballs with a pinch of croquant d'oignon rouge just before serving for even more crunch and flavor.
   
   And if you have any fried meatballs left over: they also taste great cold! Once they have cooled completely, they can also be frozen.
   
   Raw meatballs can also be frozen wonderfully in freezer bags. This saves you preparation time if you need to do it quickly! Pay particular attention to hygiene when preparing the minced meat, divide the mixture into portions as described and form the meatballs. To prevent the meatballs from sticking together, separate them from each other when freezing, for example by using baking paper.
   
   And what do I cook with meatballs? The tasty meatballs can be combined in a variety of ways. Classic recipes such as potato salad or mashed potatoes as a source of carbohydrates, green leaf salad or a fresh cucumber or tomato salad, roasted root vegetables (beet, carrot, parsnip, sweet potato) or a lentil or chickpea salad are suitable side dishes. A fresh baguette and various dips and sauces also go perfectly with it.