Crispy. Rich. Silky smooth. Delicious. Need more convincing?
Arguably one of the best parts of a dish like this is the sauce that surrounds the meatballs. Whether you mop it up with some bread, or use a spoon and turn it into a soup, however you choose to do it, this sauce will make you wish you made more! The added veggie meatballs make it that much more rich making this dish the answer to any craving for comfort food!
It's started to get chilly and rain more, and with that comes a huge craving and desire for comfort food. While thinking about what to make, I kept thinking about "meatballs" in some sauce and with the popular red pepper pasta that has been possible, I thought about how good it would be to combine the two. After making it once and eating almost the entire pan by myself, I decided to make it again and make more and let me tell you, this dish NEVER disappoints!
Recipe Details
Ingredients for "Meatballs":
1 can of chickpeas
2 cups of brown rice
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
Ingredients for Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 jar of roasted peppers (about 16oz)
1 teaspoon of red chili flakes
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of coconut milk
2 whole sprigs of rosemary
1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoons of salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper (or to taste)
Description:
1. Start by boiling the 2 cups of brown rice until the rice is soft on the outside abut with a slight bite in the middle (al dente). While the rice cooks, to a food processor, add the 1 can of chickpeas, the 5 cloves of garlic, the 1/2 a lemon, the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Pulse those together until you get a chunky/smooth consistency. Once the brown rice is cooked, add in the 2 cups to the food processor and pulse until everything is equal mixed. Lastly, add in the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and pulse together one last time.
2. At about this point, you will have a rather sticky mix but you will shape the mixture into small balls about the size of a golfball. Once you have rolled all of the mixture, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan on medium high heat and cover the bottom of the pan. Add the "meatballs" to the pan allowing about an inch of space between them. Sear as much of the "meatballs" as possible until an even and light brown crust develops. Then, remove the "meatballs from the pan and set aside.
3. In a blender, or in the cleaned food processor, blend the 1 jar of roasted red peppers, 1/2 a lemon, 1 can of coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt along with the 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Blend until everything is mixed well and the mixture is smooth. In the same pan using the residual olive oil left from the "meatballs," pour the sauce into the pan along with 2 whole sprigs of rosemary and let the sauce cook at medium heat for about 6 - 8 minutes. Stir periodically to keep the sauce from burning on the bottom of the pan.
4. Taste the sauce and, if it needs more salt and pepper, add more as you see fit. Once it has had time to cook and you have tasted the sauce and it tastes the way you like, return the "meatballs" to the pan and cover them in the sauce. Let them cook for another 2 - 3 minutes before taking them off the heat and letting them sit for another minute or two.
5. Grab your bread or your spoon, and enjoy, eating this however you feel is best!
Try it and Let Me Know What YOU think!
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please send me a picture of what you make! I would love to see how other people interpret the recipe and if there are any additions that you made!
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