Lentils are such a versatile low maintenance bean. I’ve made lentil soup, and lentil curry, but then I saw this Lentil Meatball recipe from In Jennie’s Kitchen. I am not trying to pretend that these meatballs are the same as those that use beef and/or pork, but this version has much less saturated fat and is a lot less expensive to make. Plus, they get nicely crisp on the outside and have a fantastic taste! Jennie reported that she simmered these in sauce, and they held together nicely. Mine did not seem quite that sturdy, but I admit that they were crowded in the pan which didn’t help. Oh well, the one that fell apart first became an appetizer.
The best way to fit this recipe into a busy lifestyle is to consider it as 3 distinct steps. On a day when you’re home, go ahead and simmer a batch of lentils. On the day before you are going to cook them, assemble the mixture and refrigerate it. On the following day, you can fry the meatballs in oil while you’re heating up the sauce and boiling the pasta. And then you can sit down to a fabulous vegetarian meal.
As much as I liked these meatballs, they did soak up quite a bit of oil. I’d love to make them just a little bit lighter, so next time I’ll try to bake them and let you know how it goes.
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