Post by Alexandra Courts
There’s something special about fresh tomato sauce that doesn’t come out of a jar or a can. It’s aromatic, rich in flavour and incredibly versatile. This time around I’ve paired this homemade sauce with some nutrient-dense lentil “meat”balls. Whether it be served overtop a bed of pasta or sandwiched in bread, these two are a match made in heaven!
Keep reading to find out how you can recreate this lovely and comforting meal at home.
TOMATO SAUCE:
Ingredients…
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes (14oz each)
- 1 sweet onion (diced)
- 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Directions…
- Sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil on medium heat in a saucepan until tender.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, soy sauce, pepper, coconut sugar and basil.
- Simmer sauce on low heat slightly covered for about 20-25 minutes.
- Allow the sauce to sit while you prepare the lentil “meat”balls.
LENTIL “MEAT”BALLS:
Ingredients…
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice (cooked)
- 1 1/2 cups lentils (cooked until very tender)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 sweet onion (diced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp basil (fresh/dried)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Directions…
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Coat an aluminium foil-lined baking pan with coconut oil.
- Sautée the onion and garlic in coconut oil on medium heat in a deep skillet pan until tender.
- Pulse mushrooms and kale in a food processor/blender. Ensure that the pieces aren’t too fine.
- Add the kale and mushroom blend to the pan. Sautée the combination for a couple of minutes before adding the soy sauce, brown rice and lentils. Mix the combination together throughly and then add in the tomato paste, nutritional yeast, basil and pepper.
- Continue to cook the mixture on low-medium heat. Pulse the raw walnuts and rolled oats in a food processor/blender. Ensure that the pieces are only coarsely combined. Mix into the “meat”ball mix. Allow this to cool before rolling.
- Roll the “meat”balls in your hands so that they are about 1.5 inches in diameter. Place them onto baking sheet.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Makes 2 servings.
My mother actually makes the best homemade tomato sauce from peeled, crushed plum tomatoes with salt and pepper, onions, garlic and a little basil. It tastes amazing–perfect to add into anything! These lentil meatballs look so good too–even better than real meatballs!
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