You will love these delicate little herbed green "meatballs". Absolutely packed full of flavour, they have a surprisingly light and crispy texture. We like to serve them with a simple mint and tomato sauce, although they are equally delicious tossed with pasta or accompanied by a simple green salad.
HERBED GREEN POLPETTE IN A MINTED TOMATO SAUCE
Serves 4
• 2 Tbsp ghee or olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup silverbeet, spinach or kale, finely sliced
• 1½ cups lentils, drained well
• 2 cups sourdough breadcrumbs
• Large handful of Italian parsley, finely sliced
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 free range eggs
• 1-2 Tbsp buckwheat flour if needed
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
For the sauce
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1. Add ghee or olive oil to a large saucepan or frying pan. Saute onions, garlic and silverbeet over medium heat, stirring frequently until tender, about 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
2. Combine vegetables with remaining ingredients and mix until well incorporated. If mixture feels a little too wet, add a little flour of your choice until mix firms up, one tablespoon at a time.
3. Place mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes
4. To make sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on low for 20 minutes, or until thick and pulpy. Season to taste.
5. Remove mixture from fridge, and roll into small golf-sized balls.
6. Heat a little ghee or olive oil in a saucepan, and grill meatballs in batches until nicely browned all over.
7. Serve with the tomato sauce, and an extra sprinkling of mint if you like.
