These meatballs are vegan, gluten or lactose free and very easy to make. A great idea is leftover cooked quinoa but it's still worth cooking it on purpose. They give their best if you finish cooking them in tomato sauce.
Ingredients for 12 meatballs:
- 185g of cooked and completely cooled quinoa
- 425g canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 30ml of water
- 12g of minced garlic
- 80g of chopped shallot
- A pinch of salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano (or one teaspoon dried)
- A pinch of pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 40g of grated vegan cheese
- 30g of tomato paste
- 6g hand-chopped fresh basil (or parsley or both)
- 15ml vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Preparation :
- Preheat the oven to 180°. Place the drained and rinsed black beans on a baking tray covered with phono paper and cook them for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven and raise the temperature to 190°
- Heat a frying pan (suitable to go in the oven) over medium heat. As soon as it is hot, add the water, the garlic, the shallot, the salt, the oregano, the chilli pepper and the fennel seeds, give it a stir (but no more). Add the cooked and chilled quinoa, grated vegan cheese, tomato paste, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until you have a smooth mix but not a puree.
- Taste to adjust flavor and spiciness, if the mixture is too liquid add a little vegan cheese.
- Make balls with about 1 half tablespoon of the dough, put them on a plate and then in the refrigerator for 15 minutes
- Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, cook the meatballs for a few minutes, turning them so that they do not burn but a crust forms on all sides, then transfer them to the oven and finish cooking for 20-30 minutes until they are golden brown.
They keep in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
Per portion (4 meatballs):
269.6 calories | 7.6g Fat | 40g Carbs | 13.2g Protein