Italian lentil meatballs & marinara sauce
Italian lentil meatballs & marinara sauce
Yields: 16 - 18 meatballs
Ingredients
3 cups cooked greens lentils[i]
1 cup walnuts - finely chopped[ii]
1 cup zucchini - grated
½ cup onion – diced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
2 tablespoons ground flax
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water (for flax eggs)
¾ cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
¼ cup tomato powder or 3 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup cashew parmesan or nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Steps
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook onions and garlic in a small pan until they are translucent. I use a little water, but you can use oil if you like. Add the zucchini and all the dry and liquid seasonings. Cook a few more minutes.
In a small bowl combine ground flax and water. Stir it well and set it aside to become gelatinous.
Blend oats in a food processor with an S-blade until it is a flour consistency. Add walnuts, pulse until they are finely chopped.
Add sautéed mixture, flax and remaining ingredients to the food processor. Pulse until it is mixed well, but still has texture.
Lightly wet your hands and form mixture into balls (about 2 tablespoons). Place them on the parchment paper. Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the balls midway through cooking.
Transfer the meatballs to marina sauce. Serve meatballs hot and topped with fresh basil and a sprinkle of cashew parmesan. The meatballs can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for a couple months.
Marinara sauce
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 can 796 ml diced tomatoes (no salt)
1 680 ml jar passata (pureed tomatoes)
1 cup onion – diced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic – minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon cane sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Steps
Sauté onions, garlic and salt in water or a little oil. Add tomatoes, pepper flakes, sugar and half the basil. Simmer for a half-hour to reduce the sauce and bring the flavours together. Taste – add additional salt if needed. Fold in additional basil just before serving.
Eat it with a side of bread, over noodles or how about in a meatball sub. I used a wholegrain panni bun which was hearty with a good chew. It held up well with the saucy meatballs. I spread a deep flavoured nut cheese on the top of the bun, but you can use again vegan cheese.
[i] Soak the dry lentils overnight. ½ cup dry lentils equals 1 ½ cup cooked. Rinse the lentils well. Put in a pot with enough water to cover. I use purified water for all my soaking and cooking. Bring to a boil - simmer until the lentils are tender. You can also use salt-free canned lentils for this recipe.
[ii] I soak all my nuts and seeds. It removes the enzyme inhibitors making them easier to digest. The nuts are then dehydrated for 16 to 20 hours, until they snap or crunch to the bite. They can be stored in an airtight container for three months. I usually make large batches, so I have them on hand for snacking or recipes.
Italian lentil meatball sub - use a hearty bun because you don’t want it to get soggy.
