Beetballs!

My precious earthy beetballs

I was inspired to make these beetballs after finding a recipe for them on a website called 'Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.' I don't recall how I stumbled on this website initially, it was probably linked from one of my favorite food/recipe websites, but I was happy I found it because I would have never thought to make beetballs on my own. Needless to say I fell in love with the idea and had to make them. Of course I did modify the recipe a bit due to personal taste and ingredients on hand/in cupboard. The beetballs from the original recipe were recommended to use in place of the typical sausage meatball, like on pizza or in spaghetti. However, I find them delicious as bite sized snacks or with my stir fry or my eggs on the side (I'm not picky...anymore that is).

The Recipe:

1 large beet, chopped

1 medium or large onion (depending on your taste), chopped

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cup cooked or canned chickpeas

2 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp flaxseed meal

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

ground pepper to taste

dried chopped onion and garlic to taste 

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 egg

The Process:

Preheat oven to 350 dgrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put beets, onion, walnuts, chickpeas, and spices/herbs in food processor. Chop/pulse until the ingredients are still chunky and recognizable (NOT smooth). Remove mixture and put in large bowl to mix in cottage cheese and egg. These last two ingredients will help bind the mixture together and make it easier to form the balls. 

At this point you can add any kind of cheese if you have it or want a cheesier beetball. I had a little Gorgonzola left in the fridge and added it, but it wasn't enough to really taste. 

Form small round balls with the mixture, a little smaller than the size of a pingpong ball. I suppose you could form patties as well to make a 'beetburger.' Place the rolled balls on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until firm and golden brown on the bottom, approximately 30 minutes.
Next time I will try to broil the balls after baking, to make the whole ball crispier. I didn't do this, but think I will in the future (because I will be making them again).