Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday of the year. Many people have asked me what I will be cooking for the holidays this year, because it's often difficult to keep it healthy, especially if your family is not on a plant-based diet. So I created this recipe specially for this occasion to give you a very delicious meaty-like dish option that helps you stay on track. Once you taste it, you definitely won't crave for any unhealthy foods. :)
Ingredients (4 servings)
Swedish "meatballs"
210 g dry brown lentils (~650 g cooked lentils)
140 g oat flour
2 red onions
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp smoked ground paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Gravy
1 ½ cup water (375 ml)
1 tsp natural vegetable broth seasoning
2 cups plant-based milk (500 ml)
4 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
4-5 tbsp oat flour
Tip: you can use vegetable broth instead of the water and broth seasoning.
Method
1. Soak the lentils overnight. The next day, rinse them, add to a pot with as much water as it covers them by one inch, and cook in slightly salted water for approx. 20 minutes. Finally, drain the remaining water.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
3. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, then sauté them with 4-5 tbsp water until they soften.
4. Place all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and combine them well. It might seem a bit dry, but it will hold together very well once you form balls of it.
5. Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake them at 200 °C for 25 minutes (or until they become golden brown).
6. For the gravy, place all the ingredients – besides the oat flour – in a pot and start to boil.
7. Place the oat flour in a bowl, and add two ladles of the boiling liquid to it. Mix it well, then add it to the pot and stir until the sauce thickens.
8. Place the vegan meatballs in the gravy and sprinkle some fresh, chopped parsley on top.
9. Serve it with mashed potato and sugar-free cranberry sauce or forest fruit jam.
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