Lycopene Dose Recipe: Easy Meatloaf Balls with Cajun Tomato Sauce
Lycopene, the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red, usually comes up in conversations about prostate health. But higher blood levels of lycopene are also associated with lower stroke and cardiovascular risk, and small trials suggest modest blood pressure and LDL benefits at around 25 mg a day. That's roughly ¾ cup of marinara. I love marinara, but when I want tomatoes without the same ol' pasta, this Cajun meatball dish is our go-to.
Ingredients
first, a willingness to eyeball it
Sauce Cajun Seasoning of your choosing (HEB option)
12 oz Cherry Tomatoes (HEB option)
About 1-2 tbsp Sweetener of choice (maple, brown sugar, or 1-2 dates would work) Meat 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (see below)
1-2 lbs Ground Beef
1/4-1/2 c. Rolled oats 1 egg
Onion and/or bell pepper chopped if desired More seasoning if desired & a pack of frozen green beans. Okay, so this is a classic mom-recipe where you're eyeballing, dashing, and "to taste"-ing a lot. In a bowl, place the meat with 1 egg. I usually just drizzle Worcestershire sauce over top, winging it mom-style. I have people in my life who think salt is spicy, so I leave the extra spice out in the meat. This allows them to spoon the sauce as desired. If you want to include onion and bell pepper, I would chop and cook separate and add them to the mix once cooled. This allows some of the fluid to get out. If you use frozen, this is a MUST.
Wearing gloves, work the ingredients together into a goopy mess. Then add some oats until it holds together like a soft little blob that doesn't leave any residue in the bowl. If you don't like the texture of whole oat pieces, blend them to a large grit powder. A coffee grinder works great for this-- just a couple pulses should do it. Create 2 inch balls with your hands and put them into a sauce pan. While they brown on the first side, step over to your blender.
In the blender, blend the cherry tomatoes like a morning smoothie. Add the cajun seasoning to taste and get the spice level right. Add a little of your chosen sweetener, mix, and taste. Add until you get the right level of sweet for you. I like maple or brown sugar, because you can really control the sweetness. Turn your balls over to brown on the second side. Once browned, add the tomatoes and reduce to a simmer. The simmer will cook the meat all the way through and release more lycopene from the tomatoes. Plus, the drippings of the beef also enhance lycopene absorption. The sauce will start more orangey and turn as it simmers.
In a second pan, add your frozen green beans with a little water and cover. Heat until tender. I add a little salt, dried garlic, and crushed black pepper to mine... and a little butter, because butter. Most recently I included a little red onion.
