Lentil Meatballs

Channeling Gwyneth today.  After reading her GOOP website, I decided to cook up some lentil meatballs that she featured. AND HOLY SHMOLY, they are beyond delicious. BEYOND. So flipping delicious and tasty, that I could (and did), eat them several days in a row.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups green lentils

* 1 small chopped onion

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup of panko or breadcrumbs (sorry gluten-free people, it’s a must)

* 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

* 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

* 3 tablespoons tomato paste

* 1 pinch of dried thyme and dried rosemary

* salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

* Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

* Cook the lentils (1 cup of dried lentils to 3 cups of water). Boil the water, put in the lentils, let them cook, lower the temperature, and let them sit for 30 minutes.

* Meanwhile, sautee the onion in a pan with olive oil until translucent. Add the dried herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper, sautéeing for about another minute or two until soft and fragrant. Turn off heat and set aside to cool.

* Once the lentils are cooked, place them in the vitamix with tomato paste and a tad of olive oil, and pulse until smooth.

* Then, beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add ricotta and mix with beaten eggs until combined.

* Add lentils and mix together until smooth.

* Add onion/garlic/herb mixture from the frying pan, parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.

* Mush together (hands are best for this) until combined.

* Roll lentil mixture into small balls and place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Turn balls, and bake for another 5 minutes, until slightly browned.

* Serve with a green salad, pita bread, green hummus! Delicious! And they are even good cold.

So tasty to eat as a snack (cold) or for dinner (warm).  As Ken (admittedly brimming with sarcasm) told me when he tried them, “they are the best non-meat, meatballs I have ever eaten.” So make ’em and LOVE ’em.