After making moussaka on Friday, I got to be with my friend while she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Armed with 3 hours of sleep I decided to make spaghetti and ''meatballs'' (beanballs) for dinner on Saturday night and I have to say, they turned out really well! I found a basic recipe on the net and added and subtracted to it. Here's what I came up with. :)
2 15-0z cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, minced (I put mine in the blender along with several other ingredients)
handful of fresh parsley, minced
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1-2 Tbsp your favorite Italian seasoning
1/2 small onion, minced
crushed red pepper (optional)
fresh basil ribbons
fresh parmesan cheese
Mash beans and all ingredients together until they're about the consistency of ground beef. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes, turning half way through. Nestle into your favorite marinara sauce for a couple minutes to absorb the flavors. I'm still working on my homemade marinara, so that night it was compliments of Prego. :-) Cut up some fresh basil and grate some fresh parmesan cheese for the top.
Next time I think I will try to pan fry them in just a tiny bit of oil to make them a little more crunchy (they were a little too mushy but the flavor was great). Serve with a veggie and some whole grain Italian or French garlic bread. Enjoy!
