We rip off the tomato/pepper sauce from Oprah. We use basically the same ingredients, but we saute the garlic and then add the pureed ingredients and heat it on low heat while we brown the meatballs. When the meatballs were done browning we drain them and then add them to the sauce to finish cooking.
Roasting Peppers
For those of us who are urban dwellers, it's incredibly easy to roast peppers in the oven broiler. Hopefully you have a broiler even if it's miniature like ours. Just core the peppers, cut them in quarters, and then cut the tips off the quarters. Press the quarters flat in a pan and put them in the broiler for about ten minutes. It's a good idea to check them and turn them about halfway through for even roasting. When the skins are blackened and blistered all over remove the peppers and let them cool a bit. While they are still hot to the touch seal them in a plastic bag and let them sit for until they reach room temperature. At this point they should be easy to peel.
Tomato Pepper Sauce
1 slice white sandwich bread, toasted and torn into pieces
1/2 cup walnuts
3 Tbsp. olive oil (for puree)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (for sauteeing garlic)
3 Tbsp. pomegranate juice
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 roasted red bell peppers
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 - 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
Use a food processor to chop the walnuts as finely as possible. Then add the peeled roasted peppers, bread, tomatoes, olive oil, pomegranate juise, lemon juice, and seasoning. Puree the ingredients until they form a smooth, thick sauce. Sautee the garlic in olive oil until it just starts to brown. Add the puree and chicken stock and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Meatballs
1/2 lb. ground lamb
1/4 lb. ground beef
1 slice white bread, soaked in milk
4 Tbsp. minced parsley
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together the ingredients thoroughly. Form meatballs approximately 1 1/2 in. in diameter (will make about a dozen meatballs). Brown the meatballs in olive oil over medium heat. Drain on paper towels and then add to the sauce to finish cooking.
Farro
1 1/2 cup farro
3 cups water
2 tsp salt
Cook farro as you would brown rice. Total cooking time is approximately 45 min. Be sure to check the farro toward the end-the more you try it the more you will develop your own preference for doneness.
Serving
Serve the meatballs and sauce over the farro. Garnish with parsley if desired.
