This recipe does not need egg to bind the meat – the zucchini does that for you. I have also not used flour to coat the meat before browning, and there is no need to. The sauce can reduce by itself through cooking, it also needs no flour.

All this meal takes is a little grating (or a few pulses in a food processor), some stirring, and some good all fashioned ‘messy time’ as the minced beef mixture is formed into meatballs.

Quick and easy, loaded with vegetables this is a healthy dinner than is fun and hassle free to prepare. Great for children to join in and get stirring!

What You Need:
600g of good quality minced beef
2 medium sized carrots peeled and grated
1 zucchini grated including the skin – ends chopped off
A couple of sprigs of thyme
3 cloves of garlic grated
2 sticks of celery grated – do not include the stringy outer part
1 onion finely diced
1 can of tomato sauce/juice 227g – it is the standard/regular size
Glug (about two tablespoons) of olive oil- about two tablespoons
Salt and pepper

How To Cook It
Firstly start with the meatballs. Grate 1 carrot, ½ zucchini and the two cloves of garlic. Add to a medium sized mixing bowl with the minced beef.

Wash and pull the leaves from two sprigs of thyme, season with salt and pepper and start mixing. (do we add in the seasoning to the thyme or beef directly)

When the beef is well mixed it should look smooth and the vegetables should be evenly distributed amongst the beef.

Get a tablespoon, and scoop out the mix and form into large meatballs, about the size of a ping pong ball. There are enough for 15. Don’t level the mixture off on the spoon; a heaped tablespoon of the mixture is about right!

When the meat mixture is formed into round balls, cover with silver foil or cling film.

Next we work on the sauce. First peel and finely dice the onion. Grate the other carrot and the two sticks of celery.

On a medium setting, heat a glug of oil in a saucepan with a lid, and when the oil is hot add the onion. Cook until golden.

Tip in the carrot and celery, and give a good stir.

Meanwhile grate the left over zucchini and garlic and open the can of tomato sauce.

When the celery, onion and carrot are a lovely golden colour and have softened add in the zucchini, give a quick stir then tip in the tomato sauce. Leave on a low simmer

Heat some more oil in another frying pan and cook the meatballs until browned on the outside.

Finally tip the meatballs into the pan with the sauce, keep the lid off and allow to simmer until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Have a little taste of the sauce and season with salt and pepper as desired.

This is really good served over pasta, but would be just as tasty with rice. The great thing about this meal is that you can make both the meatballs and the sauce in advance, and then cook as and when needed.

If you have any of the mixture left over, you can also make super tasty burgers!

Vicky Henniker-Anandraj is a mother of two kids with severe food allergies. She writes on all things allergy, family and fun in Singapore in her allergy-centered blog. Working with leading chefs to create allergy-aware meals for readers, as well as developing their own home-style recipes, she also hunts down places that are allergy-safe for her kids.