Healthy Shabbat recipe

(The Nosher via JTA)-My 4-year-old, previously meatball-loving child has recently decided, in fact, she does not like meatballs any longer. Or tomato sauce. My husband does not like spaghetti squash. And I am trying to cut back on my carbs just a smidge.

In short, dinner is becoming harder and harder to coordinate. So when I made sweet and sour meatballs for the first time recently and they were devoured, I knew we had a winner. That is, until my daughter decides she doesn't.

I served these meatballs with simple roasted spaghetti squash for myself, and some rice for my husband and daughter, so everyone was happy.

Variation: If you want to cut the sugar in this recipe, you can reduce to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, replace with honey or stevia. If you want to remove a sweetener all together, try pureeing 1 whole peeled carrot in a food processor. While sauteing the onion, add the pureed carrot to add natural sweetness.

Special thanks to this recipe from Kosher By Gloria for inspiring this post.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion

2 garlic cloves

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup brown sugar OR 1 tablespoon stevia OR 2 carrots, peeled and pureed in food processor

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon fresh orange or lemon zest

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup water or broth (vegetable or beef broth)

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

To cook the spaghetti squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, prick the squash all over. Place on a baking sheet and cook 30-40 minutes until soft. Allow to cool slightly. Cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, discard. Using a fork, remove the spaghetti squash flesh. This step can be prepared 1-2 days ahead.

To make the sauce: Add 1tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, brown sugar (or sweetener or honey), lemon juice, citrus zest, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook on low while preparing meatballs.

To make the meatballs: Mix together breadcrumbs with cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and mix gently. Add 1 beaten egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Using the palm of your hands, gently roll tablespoon-sized meatballs, taking care not to pack too tightly or "smush." If you want to be more precise, use a cookie scoop to measure.

Place all the meatballs in sauce and simmer on medium-low heat for 45-50 minutes, covered.

Serve warm with spaghetti squash, rice or noodles.

Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at http://www.TheNosher.com.