Baked meatballs with onions and yoghurt sauce

Based on an old traditional recipe which differs a bit from region to region this dish will impress you with its taste! This is a quite versatile recipe, as you will see further down it can be served anytime through the year depending on which cooking version you will follow. Along with a crispy, green salad it will make an excellent Summer-time dish and along with some simple rice pilaf it can become a really hearty Winter-time dish

Recipe of Eirini Tsolakeli,
from "BHMAgourmet" magazine of "TO BHMA" newspaper

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):
6 yellow (or red onions), cut in medium rings
½ tea-cup of water
salt
pepper
½ tea-cup of olive oil
700gr. ground beef
1 tbsp of olive oil
3 slices of stale bread (no crust), soaked in water and well strained
½ tsp of dried oregano
2 tbsp of fresh finely chopped spearmint
1-2 tbsp of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional -my addition)
2 tea-cups of Greek thick yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional -my addition for the Winter version) or ½ tsp of garlic powder (optional -my addition for the Summer version)
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of sweet paprika (optional -my addition)
3 tbsp of plain vinegar

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.

For the sauce, put in a bowl the yoghurt, the vinegar, the salt, the paprika (if used), the garlic (if used in any of the two versions) and beat the ingredients with a whisk to blend well. *** If the sauce is too thick for you, thin it out adding a little bit of single cream or milk.

Put in a pot the water and 1 tsp of salt on medium heat and when it comes to the boil add the onion rings. Blanch for 5 minutes and drain in a colander.

Arrange the onions on the bottom of a spacious pyrex dish and pour over with the oil.

Put in a large bowl the ground meat, the bread, the oregano, the spearmint, the parsley (if used), salt, pepper and the 1 tbsp of oil. Mix the ingredients with your hands very well and shape the mixture into small meatballs.

Arrange the meatballs, in one layer, on top of the onions and put in the oven.

* If you follow the Winter version, initially bake the meatballs for 45 minutes, carefully turning them once. Take the dish out of the oven, pour over with the yoghurt sauce and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes until a nice golden crust is formed on the top. Leave the food to stand for a few minutes and then serve.

** If you follow the Summer version, then bake for 50-55 minutes, carefully turning the meatballs once. Take out of the oven, pour over with the yoghurt sauce and serve immediately.