I follow Jack Monroe on Instagram and on email and I am always impressed by how she pulls dishes together so cheap! I think I first found out about her through Martin’s Money Tips, but she is well worth a follow if you don’t already.

When I saw this recipe come up in my feed I was looking for some Meatless Monday inspiration and I thought ooo now that looks yummy – and I wasn’t wrong… So here is how I cooked it along with the recipe and the photos I took along the way… Hope you enjoy… You can find the original recipe here.

My take on Jack Monroe’s Tomato & Basil Meatballs With Orzo

Course Main Course

Ingredients

1 large onion
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 handful fresh herbs Whatever you have growing – at the time of cooking I had some sage, but if you don't have fresh, dried italian or mixed herbs would be great
a generous pinch mixed spice as I didn't have seperate cinnamon or nutmeg at the time of cooking and so a good shake of mixed spice worked well and had these spices in it
400 g chopped tomatoes
400 g passata or another can of tomatoes
1 tbsp sugar or your preferred alternative
100 g green or black olives
1 tbsp lemon juice/ juice of one fresh lemon
salt and pepper to taste
280 g orzo pasta
290 g packet of Linda McCartney’s Ridiculously Tasty Tomato & Basil Meatballs or IKEA Veggie balls also work well – I found it made leftovers go further by adding some I had in the freezer

Instructions

First peel and finely dice your onion, and peel and finely mince your garlic. Warm a little oil in a large nonstick pan and add the onion on a low heat. Cook, stirring, for around 10 minutes until they start to soften.
Add your herbs, and the nutmeg and cinnamon, then pour in your tomatoes and passata. Add your sugar, and halve your olives and add those too. Add your lemon juice, and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a brief boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes to thicken and develop the flavours.
Add your orzo or rice to the pot, along with 1 250ml cup of water. Stir well, and cook for 10-12 minutes if using orzo, 20 minutes if using rice. You may need to add more water, don’t overdo it as you can always put more in but it’s harder to take it out!
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a separate frying pan and cook your Linda McCartney Meatballs from frozen on a medium-high heat for around 15 minutes. You can also bake them in the oven at 180C in a roasting dish or baking tray for 10-12 minutes, shaking gently or turning over halfway through to cook evenly.
Combine the meatballs with the tomatoey orzo or rice, and serve.
I grated a good deal of parmasan on to finish the dish and this was yummy
Allow leftovers to cool completely then transfer to an airtight bag or container. It will keep in the fridge for 2 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat to piping hot throughout to serve.