Courgette and Lentil Balls with Tomato Sauce
We’ve served this with buckwheat, a nutrient-rich grain-like fruit seed that’s low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals. Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time about 30min. Serves 4
◆ 400g (14oz) tinned green
lentils ◆ 2 medium courgettes, about
275g (10oz) ◆ 1 medium egg ◆ 1 garlic clove, crushed ◆ 40g (1½oz) Parmesan cheese,
grated, plus extra to serve ◆ Small handful basil, shredded, plus extra leaves to garnish ◆ 60g (2½oz) fresh white or
brown breadcrumbs ◆ 1tbsp olive oil for the sauce ◆ 1tsp olive oil ◆ 1 onion, finely chopped ◆ 2 garlic cloves, crushed ◆ 400g tin chopped tomatoes ◆ 1tsp dried oregano ◆ Pinch sugar
1 Drain and rinse the lentils. Leave in sieve to drain well again. Trim the courgettes and coarsely grate. Lift up handfuls over the sink and squeeze firmly to remove all excess moisture. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Add courgettes to a bowl and mix in the egg, garlic, Parmesan, basil, breadcrumbs and plenty of seasoning. 2 Whizz the lentils in a food processor until fairly smooth, then add to the courgette bowl and mix well. Shape mixture into 16 walnut-sized balls. 3 Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and fry balls, carefully turning occasionally (they will be fairly soft), until golden, about 15min. Set aside (still in pan). 4 Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a separate pan, heat the oil over low-medium heat and gently fry onion for 10min until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients with some seasoning and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5min. 5 Add the sauce to the meatball pan and gently heat through. Serve with pasta, rice or cooked buckwheat, as we have, and garnish with basil. Sprinkle over extra Parmesan, if you like. PER SERVING (without buckwheat) 250cals, 15g protein, 9g fat (3g saturates), 25g carbs (8g total sugars), 6g fibre