Do you know that feeling? There is this ingredient in your pantry that you bought because it should be part of a ‘healthy and balanced diet’? And then you just keep pushing it out of the way to get to some of the other ingredients instead?
Well, in my pantry this happens particularly to lentils. Somehow I have a love hate relationship with them. Once they are cooked though, I love them!
So I’ve motivated myself to use those forgotten ingredients again. And this is what happened as a result! A no-meat ball that is absolutely delicious! I haven’t tested them on my favourite omnivores yet but I will let you know what they said about them 😉
No-Meat Ball & Tomato Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Nut-free, Oil-free Option)
Ingredients
For the no-meat balls:
- 150 g brown lentils (soak them for at least 12 hours and the cook and drain them)
- 1/2 onion diced
- 45 g buckwheat flour
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon fiber husk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the sauce:
- 375 ml passata (pureed tomato)
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
- 375 ml water
- some cooking oil I prefer coconut oil or water, if you want to go for the oil-free version
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C. For the meatballs, mash the cooked and rinsed lentils in a medium sized bowl or pot. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Line the baking tray with baking paper. Form the no-meat balls with your clean hands and place on the baking tray.
- Bake for approx. 10-15 minutes, then flip and bake another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and relatively firm.
- While the balls are baking, heat the coconut oil in a medium sized frying pan and cook the diced onion until golden brown. If you don’t want to sue oil, cook the onion in a few tablespoon water until tender.
- Add paprika powder and mix well. Then quickly stir in the passata and cook for about 15 minutes, until is has thickened up considerably.
- Add the remaining spices and the water and mix well. Bring to boil again and let simmer for a few more minutes.
- When the balls are finished, add them to the sauce and gently cover them with it, don’t let them cook in the sauce. Serve with some freshly chopped herbs like oregano or basil 🙂
Notes
Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.
