Veggie Balls with Spinach-Basil Pesto

Yes, I'm sure the vegetarians in your life can eat only the usual side dishes and still enjoy Thanksgiving (unless of course you're one of those people that manages to slip bacon and sausage into absolutely everything and turn even Brussels sprouts into a meat-lover's vegetable). But if you love a vegetarian or just want to explore how the other half lives (actually, I'm sure it's more like the other 10% at best), then consider making these hearty little veggie balls. They're full of lentils, which means they're high in protein. In fact, they should be called lentil-veggie balls, since they're about a 50/50 mix by the time all the vegetables cook down.

Now, I know this photo probably hasn't sold you...they definitely don't look moist and juicy like an actual meatball. But they're not meatballs, so stop comparing them. I like them as a snack because I think they're even better cold. You can easily pop one or two between meals and feel satisfied and they're actually healthy (when I put it that way, it might be un-American to have them for Thanksgiving). And if you don't like them, you can always use them to get a rousing game of miniature bocce ball going in the backyard.

VEGGIE BALLS

Yield: about 2 dozen (1 1/2-inch) “meatballs”

2 cups lentils

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons tomato paste

8 oz. button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
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1.      Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and allow to cool.

2.      Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium- high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

3.      Add the cooled lentils, eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and walnuts to the cooled vegetables and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.

4.      Preheat oven to 400º F. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

5.      Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing 1/4-inch of space between the balls and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid.

6.      Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

from "The Meatball Shop Cookbook" by Daniel Holzman, Michael Chernow & Lauren Deen

raw lentils up close

cooked lentils

thyme

onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme

adding tomato paste

adding mushrooms

vegetables ready
(all the liquid has been absorbed)

adding walnuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs and parmesan cheese

mixing in lentils

ready to refrigerate

rolling a veggie ball

ready to bake

I actually baked a second dish too. Somehow I ended up
with 43 (instead of the recipe's prediction of 24). I
don't think I made them too small, so I'm still not sure why.

baked

close up of baked veggie ball

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SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Yield: 4 cups

1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

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1.      Preheat oven to 350º F. Spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.

2.      Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl half way up with ice and water and set close to the sink.

3.      Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.

4.      Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.

from "The Meatball Shop Cookbook" by Daniel Holzman, Michael Chernow & Lauren Deen

walnuts

all the pesto ingredients in the food processor

I didn't blanch the spinach and basil, so it's hard for me to give an
accurate assessment of this recipe. The authors of "The Meatball
Shop Cookbook" picked this as their favorite topping for these
veggie balls. I think a nice mushroom sauce would be great too. I did
enjoy this raw, except I would probably add a clove of garlic next time.

spinach-basil pesto

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Roasted Chestnuts

I love roasted chestnuts. And if you ask me, I think they're underrated. Sure, they open up The Christmas Song and sometimes make an appearance in your stuffing on Thanksgiving. But I think they make an excellent snack. They're all warm and starchy and a little sweet. And they're kind of fun to peel (or a giant pain in the ass, depending on your outlook).

Chestnuts are also low in fat and contain protein, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins C & E. They're cholesterol-free and gluten-free too. So go nuts! Oh yeah, and they're also an actual nut, so if you're allergic, I suggest making popcorn. That's my solution to most problems (you'd be surprised how often it works).

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

fresh, raw chestnuts

1.     Preheat oven to 425º F.

2.     Wipe the chestnuts with a damp towel. Using a sharp paring knife (preferably serrated), cut a large X in the rounded side of each chestnut (all the way through the skin).

3.     Place chestnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer (X side up) and roast for about 25 minutes, or until shells have opened and insides are golden brown.

4.     Peel as soon as they are cool enough to handle, but still warm. (If you wait until they cool completely, they’re almost impossible to peel.)

chestnuts

Look for large, shiny, dark brown, firm ones with no holes.
Chestnuts can get moldy if they're too old, so don't buy them
if they look discolored in any way and give them the
old sniff test too (sometimes you can actually smell it).

cutting an X

The X allows steam to escape (they WILL explode
without it). It also makes them easier to peel.

X'd and ready to roast

roasted chestnuts

You can see there's a fuzzy "skin"
on the inside, just under the shell.

Usually the skin pulls up, along with the shell.
But sometimes it's stubborn and hard to remove.

peeling a chestnut

I was lucky, this batch was very easy to peel.
They're kind of like oranges or eggs, they can be
very easy, but sometimes ridiculously hard.

If you make a very large batch, keep some
warm with tin foil while you're peeling the others.

shelled chestnuts

When I'm cooking with chestnuts, I sometimes buy
them already roasted in a vacuum sealed pouch or jar.

As you can see, they do look much darker than the
freshly roasted batch. They're both delicious, but
the ones from the pouch are moister (and obviously
much quicker and easier). I like them for recipes,
but prefer freshly roasted for snacking.

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Cauliflower with Mustard-Sage Cornbread Crumbs

I like cauliflower, but I think we both know I made this more for the pretty colors. It's like my blog's logo in a dish, sprinkled with cornbread. Or maybe it's Mardi Gras on a fork. Take your pick. But it's not just eye catching, it's tasty too. I especially like the mustard with the cauliflower and that touch of sweetness from the cornbread. But if you don't love cauliflower, and I mean love it, don't even think about using all four colors (unless you have a family of twenty or are planning on eating the leftover raw cauliflower for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next five days).

CAULIFLOWER WITH MUSTARD-SAGE CORNBREAD CRUMBS

Makes 8 servings

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided

1 cup chopped shallots

9 cups 1 1/2-inch cauliflower florets (preferably a variety of colors)

1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (homemade or purchased)

1.      Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Add broth. Cover and steam until cauliflower is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

2.      Using slotted spoon, transfer cauliflower to bowl. Add cream, 2 teaspoons mustard, 1 teaspoon sage, flour, and lemon zest to pot. Boil until sauce is thick, whisking, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in cauliflower. Arrange cauliflower, stem side down, with sauce in 11 x 7 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

3.      Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard and 1 tablespoon sage. Add cornbread crumbs; toss to coat. Spoon crumbs over cauliflower. Bake until topping is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

barely adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2010

Come on, how could I resist? I'm only human.

I read up on these a little, just to make sure I wasn't
eating anything nasty. I'm happy to report, they're not
genetically engineered, just mutants (and very nutritious).

colorful cauliflower florets

I think mine were smaller than the recipe
called for, but I wasn't measuring.

sage and shallots

sauteing the shallots

cauliflower added

removing steamed cauliflower

The steam fogged up my lens a little, but if you look
closely, you might notice the broth turned purple.

adding the cream, mustard, sage, flour and lemon

If you look at about 9 o'clock on the photo,
you'll see a little more of the purple broth.

sauce thickening

cauliflower mixed with sauce

spread out in the dish

I didn't arrange the cauliflower stem side down
like the recipe suggests. I'm sure it's even more
beautiful that way, but I didn't have the time (my 
friends' Facebook posts aren't going to read themselves).

butter, mustard and sage

I made cornbread in my cast iron skillet.
It was good, but I didn't feel like it was the
cornbread of my dreams, so I didn't post
the recipe. They'll be others.

cornbread added

cornbread sprinkled on top

baked

Just look at all the pretty colors (it's cheaper than
taking a vacation to New England to see the fall foliage).

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