SQUASHTINI AND LENTIL BALLS

This recipe has a few steps but it is totally worth the effort. Make it for friends to impress at a dinner party.  They will not believe how delicious, different, and healthy this dish actually is.

SQUASHTINI AND LENTIL BALLS

Ingredients:

For the nut balls:

1/2 cup dry quinoa, rinsed under water for 5 minutes
1 cup dry lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
3 celery, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup old fashion oat (use gluten free if sensitive)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds
2 tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos
6 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste
extra oil to lightly fry them

For the tomato sauce:

I tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped (1/3 cup)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery, chopped
3 cups tomatoes, peeled* and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons coconut nectar
Salt and pepper to taste

For the squashtini

2 large spaghetti squash, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and seeded
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

For the nut balls:

In a saucepan, bring the quinoa and 1 cup of water to boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes uncovered.
Turn off the heat and cover for an extra 5 minutes.

In the mean time in a separate saucepan, bring the lentils to boil with 5 cups of water.
Lower the heat and let it simmer for 25 minutes under medium-low heat. You will want them a little over cooked since we are going to smash them a little later on.
Drain the extra water once cooked and reserve.

In a wok or large pan, heat up the olive oil under medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic,  and cook 4-5 minutes until translucent.
Add the celery, carrots, spices, and cook another 4 minutes.
In the meantime, grind the old fashion oat, the chia seeds, and the flax seeds in the coffee grinder (or blender) until it has a "flour" consistency. You can do it in batches. This will act as a binding agent for our balls.
Once grinded, add the  oat "flour" mixture. Mix well.
Add the Bragg liquid aminos and the water, and cook another 3-5 minutes. The consistency should be sticky.
Add the cooked quinoa, the lentils, the salt, and pepper.
With a potato masher, mash the lentil mixture a little bit until everything is well blended.
Form little balls with the mixture and fry them over a little bit of oil in a large pan, turning them gently, until they are a little crispy on the outside. You will probably need to do this in batches.
Put on top of the squashtini and sauce.
Should make 25-30 balls.

For the tomato sauce:

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil under medium heat. add the shallots and garlic and cook 4-5 minutes until translucent.
Add the Tomatoes and the wine, cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the broth, the basil, the sundried tomatoes, the coconut nectar, the salt and pepper, and cook another 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
In a blender, put in the sauce and pulse a few times quickly, leaving some chunks.

For the squashtini:

Line an oven tray with parchment paper.
Season the spaghetti squash with salt and pepper.
Place flesh side down and roast at 375 F for 45 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from the oven and let the squash rest until cool enough to handle.  Using a large kitchen fork, scrape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin.

To assemble:

Toss the spaghetti squash in a pan with the hot tomato sauce for just long enough to get hot.
Serve in individual plates with nut balls on top.

Bon appetit!