Lentil, ras-el-hanout & date ‘meatballs’ with olive salsa

These protein-packed lentil and oat balls are blitzed with ras el hanout for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins COOK 12 mins EASY V

1 lemon, zested and juiced

50g green olives, pitted and

roughly chopped

1 large on-the-vine tomato, roughly

chopped

25g parsley, inely chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

90g porridge oats

3 medjool dates, destoned and

roughly chopped

1 tbsp ras el hanout

2 x 400g cans cooked green lentils,

rinsed and drained

50g feta, crumbled jewelled couscous, to serve

Combine 1 tbsp of the lemon juice, olives, tomato, half the parsley and 1 tbsp of the oil in a small bowl. Season to taste and set aside.

For the meatballs, tip the garlic, oats, dates, ras el hanout, lemon zest and remaining parsley into a food processor and blitz until well combined. Tip in the lentils and pulse a few times until fully combined – the lentils don’t have to be completely broken up. Season the mixture with a big pinch of salt and pepper and stir in the feta. Wet your hands and form the mixture into 25 small balls, around the size of ping pong balls. Set aside on a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the balls to the pan and brown all over, around 10-12 mins, turning them with a spoon rather than shu‹ing the pan as they will be fragile. Serve over the couscous with the olive salsa spooned on top.

GOOD TO KNOW vit c • 2 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 361 kcals • fat 15g • saturates 4g • carbs 37g • sugars 7g • ibre 11g • protein 14g • salt 1g