Recipes of the week: Cheat’s meatballs with tomato & feta pasta salad

I have two ancient books that I’ve been sticky taping recipes into over the decades.

I started the first one when I was a teenager. They’re so old that the sticky tape has stopped being sticky in most cases – the books are falling apart and filled with little loose clippings.

Those recipes – plus our CDs and a suitcase of Duplo – were among the few treasures I took to New York when we moved there briefly many years ago.

These days, most of the recipes are not highly regarded by my children. The youngest tends to complain about everything I serve her. Teenagers!

But I’ve been getting rave reviews from the other household that I cook for, which eases the pain of my own ungrateful child.

I’ve even been asked to create an Asian feast for a special occasion next week. Last night was spent plotting and planning.

Here are two dishes that were on the menu last week …

Cheat’s meatballs with pasta salad

1 pkt of chevap sausages

1 pkt orzo pasta, cooked according to directions and drained

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil + olive oil for shallow frying

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered

12 olives, halved

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 large Lebanese cucumber, diced

Large handful of mint leaves, chopped

1 slab of Greek feta, diced, or 1/2 tub crumbled feta

Toasted pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Tzatziki to serve

METHOD: Divide each chevap into three, roll into balls. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook meatballs until golden.

Gently toss pasta with lemon, olive oil, tomatoes, olives, onion, mint and feta. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Serve meatballs with a dollop of tzatziki on top and pasta salad.

Ribs & beans in sticky barbecue sauce

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons sundried tomato paste

1 jar passata

4 tablespoons malt vinegar

2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

1 rack of pork ribs

2 x cans butter beans, drained

1 bottle apple cider

Chopped continental parsley to serve

METHOD: Preheat oven to 220C. Combine onion, garlic, sugar, mustard, tomato paste, passata, malt vinegar and worchestershire sauce in a casserole dish. Place ribs on top. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the ribs. Roast for another 30 minutes. Scrape down the sauce and add the cider and beans. Cook for 30 more minutes, cut the rack into ribs and return to the sauce. Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve.