TODAY’S RECIPE: Lentil & date ‘meatballs’ with olive salsa

Protein-packed easy meal. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 lemon, zested and juiced 50g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1 large on-the-vine tomato, roughly chopped 25g parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed 90g porridge oats

3 medjool dates, de-stoned 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

Method

1 Combine 1 tbsp lemon juice, olives, tomato, half the parsley and 1 tbsp oil in bowl. Season and set aside.

2 For meatballs, tip garlic, oats, dates, ras el hanout, lemon zest and remaining parsley into food processor and blitz until well combined. Tip in lentils and pulse until fully combined — lentils don’t have to be completely broken up. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper and stir in feta. Wet hands and form mixture into 24 small balls. Set aside on a plate.

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

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