First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go, ‘Wow, I need this beet right now.’ Those are the money beets. – Dwight K. Schrute
Luckily, this vegan meatball recipe does not require you to drive down country lanes in search of the perfect beets to make money vegan “beetballs”. Since beets can take awhile to cook, this meatball recipe features pre-cooked beets that you can buy at your local grocery store – either preserved or cooked and marinated. This recipe is dedicated to all of you who are short on time, but want to prepare a simple, yet flavourful dinner to impress.
The best part? Since you’re not using meat, you can easily taste the meatball mixture and adjust the flavours to suit your palette. Bye bye salmonella and listeria, hello immune-boosting vitamin C and fibre!
According to my favourite Dr. Mercola, incorporating beets into your diet is an excellent way to:
- lower your blood pressure;
- boost your stamina;
- fight inflammation;
- ward off cancer; and
- detoxify your body.
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- 150g beets
- ½ cup of lentils, cooked
- ½ cup of white onions, chopped
- 2 chia/flaxseed eggs
- 400g of butter beans
- 2¼ cups chickpea (gram) flour
- ½ cup ground almonds
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp basil
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tbsp mixed herbs spice
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then prepare the chia/flaxseed eggs by mixing 2 tbsp of ground chia/flaxseeds with 6 tbsp of water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the chia/flaxseed eggs are forming, on the stove, cook a ½ cup of lentils until the lentils have softened.
- Once the lentils are cooked, in a food processor, add the beets, lentils, flaxseeds and butterbeans.
- Blend until smooth, then transfer the mixture into a medium-large mixing bowl.
- In the mixing bowl, add the chopped onion, salt, garlic powder/cloves, basil, pepper and mixed herbs spices, then mix spices thoroughly with either your hands or a spoon.
- Slowly add the chickpea (gram) flour and ground almonds until the mixture is not sticky and can be moulded into balls.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture, then roll it between the palms of your hands to form a ball. Place the "raw" beetballs onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
- Bake the beetballs for 15 - 20 minutes, or until they are able to hold shape.
- In the meantime, prepare your favourite pasta sauce. I cook a creamy tomato-based sauce using passata, crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. Make sure to add any spices to the sauce at this point.
- Once the beetballs are ready, remove them from the oven, then place however many you want directly into the sauce to continue cooking. You can freeze any left over beetballs.
- Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes.
- Five minutes before taking the beetballs and sauce off the stove, add some chopped kale and sliced mushrooms to cook with the sauce and beetballs.
- Serve the beetballs and sauce on top of your favourite pasta or even courgetti.
ENJOY & SHARE
Bears, (Beetballs), Battlestar Galactica – an unbeatable triad. Spaghetti or courgetti – how did you serve your beetballs?
Share your results by tagging @faimfoodie on Instagram with the hashtag, #FaimFoodie!
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