Spaghetti and Beet Balls

Who says spaghetti and meatballs is something only meat eaters can enjoy? You could always put a vegetarian twist on it and make a veggie patty into a sphere, or to really convince yourself that it’s indeed a comparable dish, you could make spinach and ricotta balls, give them a rhyming name and call them “no-meat” balls, or make “beet” balls with beets, black beans and cashews. Fine, it’s still not quite the same, but all puns aside, these delicious and moist beet balls are wonderful with spaghetti, salads, sandwiches, or just on their own as a snack.

Ingredients:

3 medium beets

¾ cup cooked black beans (or from a can)

½ cup packed spinach leaves

¼ cup raw cashews

2 Tbsp quick oats

1 clove of garlic

½ tsp grated ginger

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp paprika (adjust to taste)

Salt to taste

Wash the beets and cut into halves. Leave the skin on and steam for ~15 minutes until they’re tender. Peel off the skin. Alternately, you could boil or roast the beets in the oven.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Add the steamed beets along with all other ingredients to a food processor and process until the mixture is well combined and starts to come together. Shape into 1” balls and arrange them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes. Flip them over gently and bake for another 5-7 minutes until lightly browned and firm to touch.

Let cool and store in airtight container in the refrigerator. For a delicious healthy snack, serve the beet balls with yogurt (or sour cream) and paprika.

To pair the beet balls with spaghetti, make an avocado pesto sauce by blending together 1 Tbsp spinach walnut pesto, one mashed avocado, enough water to get a creamy sauce consistency and lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. Mix the sauce with cooked spaghetti and enjoy with beautiful red beet balls.

~Gayatri

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Not your average spaghetti and meat balls! This vegetarian pasta dish uses beets for a delicious flair.http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/12/spaghetti-and-beet-balls.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Saturday, December 26, 2015