Mushroom and Walnut Veggie Balls
I make various versions of these veggie balls, but this is probably the recipe that my husband and children enjoy the most. Even though half of my family claim to dislike mushrooms, they still love these balls. The mushrooms lend a wonderful texture but their taste is beautifully blended with a variety of other flavours, so they don't taste too 'mushroomy'! They're appealingly crunchy on the outside but lovely and moist in the middle, so they really are a delight to the tastebuds!
They're endlessly versatile; I serve them in wraps with shredded lettuce, my sweet chilli sauce (recipe here) and my homemade mayo (recipe here), with spaghetti/courgetti and red sauce, with beans and homemade fries, with mashed potato, peas and gravy, with scrambled tofu (recipe here) and garlic spinach as part of a breakfast fry up, with veggie sticks to dip in hummus...the list goes on! This recipe makes about 26 balls...if that's more than you need, just keep some refrigerated for easy meal ideas over the next few days!
The beauty of these veggie balls is that it's simply a matter of chopping and mixing. There's no need to use a vitamix or food processor. I have pulverised all the ingredients in a blender before, which makes for a very smooth veggie ball, but we all prefer a bit of texture. Once you start experimenting you can find out for yourself exactly how you like them.
They're so simple to prepare, it provides a great opportunity to get the children involved. They love getting their hands messy and sticky and they delight in eating something that they put together!
To start, put the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:
5 cups of finely chopped white mushrooms (this equates to about 500g)
1½ cups of oats
1 cup of finely chopped walnuts (actually, I just put them in a knotted bag and bash them with a rolling pin!)
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp beetroot powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp smoked paprika (plain paprika will do, but I think the smokiness really lends something special)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
Mix well, then add:
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup of olive oil
Mix again until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Then:
Take handfuls of the mixture and roll into ball shapes. I like to make them roughly the size of a golf ball (this makes about 26 balls).
Place on a lightly greased baking tray and place in the oven, on gas mark 4, for 20 minutes. Then turn each ball and cook for 20 minutes more.
Enjoy!