EASY LENTIL MEATBALLS

Healthy, easy Lentil Meatballs with buckwheat, fresh herbs and spices. Soft and flavoursome, perfect on a bed of spiralised zucchini.

Yields 24 meatballs.
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Plant-based
Serves: 24

INGREDIENTS
¾ cup red lentils
¾ cup buckwheat groats
Olive oil
1 large shallot
3 large cloves garlic
4 tablespoons ground chia
1 extremely packed cup parsley, curly, chopped
1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
⅓ cup semi or sundried tomatoes, drained if oily
2 spring onions, green parts, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon thyme, dried
Sprinkle of chilli flakes
½ teaspoon fine Himalayan salt
½ cup sunflower seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
1)Pre-heat oven at 180˚C (355˚F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2)Place lentils and buckwheat in a sieve and rinse very well under running water. Transfer to a large pot, fill it ¾ full of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat a little, and cook for about 15 minutes or till just done. Drain and rinse with cool water.
3)While the lentils/buckwheat cook, heat a little olive oil in a pan and lightly fry finely chopped shallot. Add roughly chopped garlic cloves and cook a little longer. Transfer to a food processor.
4)Add ground chia, parsley, tomato paste, spring onions, sundried tomatoes, salt and spices to the food processor and pulse to combine.
5)Add the cooled lentils/buckwheat and blitz to combine. Add the sunflower seeds last for one final pulse.
6)Roll mixture into balls using a tablespoon of mixture per. Place on baking tray and bake for 15 minutes max (you want them to be a bit soft), turning half way through.
7)Serve with marinara sauce and pasta/spiralised zucchini. I love to fold about 100g fresh baby spinach or kale through the sauce to get some greens in there.
8)Enjoy!

NUTRITION HIGHLIGHTS:

-Lentils and rice or buckwheat combine to provide a great source of quality plant-protein
-Lentils provide prebiotic fibre, feeding the good bacteria in the gut
-Chia and sunflower seeds add further protein and fibre
-Parsley is a nutrition powerhouse and a great source of iron
-A low GI, high fibre, mineral rich meal