Meatless “Meatballs”

Ingredients

For the bean balls

2  cans kidney beans

200 g mushrooms, chopped

2/3  heaped cup pumpkin seeds, finely chopped and toasted

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, diced

1 cup oats, processed into a coarse flour

2 eggs

2 teaspoons oregano

handful of fresh basil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

pepper

chili powder (optional)

splash of lemon juice

For the tomato sauce

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cans tomatoes, chopped

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cube vegetable stock

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Other ingredients

500 g spaghetti pasta

Method

Bean balls

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a large baking sheet with parchment

paper.

Place the oats into a food processor and process until a coarse flour is obtained.

Cut the mushrooms and onion. Mince the garlic cloves.

Rinse and drain kidney beans.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan without oil until fragrant and golden.

In another pan, heat some oil and sauté the diced onions for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more.

Place the sautéed onion, mushrooms and garlic along with the toasted pumpkin seeds and kidney beans into a food processor and pulse until coarse.

Stir in the ground oats, the eggs, tomato paste and the seasonings.

Combine well and shape into balls.

Place each ball on the prepared baking sheet, about 3 cm apart.

Bake the dish for about 25 - 30 minutes until golden on both sides. (Gently flip the balls halfway through.)

Tomato sauce

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook at medium heat for around 5 minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, tomato puree and fresh basil. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.

After baking, fold the balls into the sauce. Serve with spaghetti or other pasta and tomato sauce.

Serve with a glass of Natura De-Alc Red.