Name: Vegan meatballs
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 200g brown lentils; 1 onion, diced; spray olive oil; 100g mushrooms, finely chopped; 4 tbsp porridge oats; 1 lemon, zested; 200g orzo; to serve green salad; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 6 large vine tomatoes, diced; a small handful basil

200g brown lentils
1 onion
diced
spray olive oil
100g mushrooms
finely chopped
4 tbsp porridge oats
1 lemon
zested
200g orzo
to serve green salad

TOMATO SAUCE

1 clove garlic
crushed
6 large vine tomatoes
diced
a small handful basil

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Rinse the lentils well, then simmer in boiling water for 15 minutes until starting to go soft. Fry the onion in a spray of oil until soft but not brown, and allow to cool. Drain the lentils well and put in a blender with the cooled onion, mushrooms, oats and lemon zest. Pulse until the mix is combined (but don’t blend to a mush). Season, and roll into 16 balls, then put them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and firm, turning them halfway through.
step 2
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce by frying the garlic in a spray of olive oil for a minute before adding the tomatoes with a splash of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. Cook the orzo and drain well. Season the tomato sauce, and stir in the basil. Add the balls to the orzo in shallow bowls, spoon over the tomato sauce, and serve with a green salad.