Lentil-Mushroom Bites with Harissa-Tomato Sauce

Lentil-Mushroom Bites with Harissa-Tomato Sauce

This recipe almost didn't make the blog. And not because it's a horrible recipe or even a mediocre recipe. It is quite the opposite. The reason it almost didn't make the blog is because I ate most of the batter before I even placed these puppies in the oven.  I had to literally give myself a stern talking to as I was licking the wooden spoon.  The good news is that I ended up not doing as much damage as I thought and was able to make about 10 little balls out of the remainder of the batter.  As luck would have it, Taylor came in from the field starving just as the oven timer went off (he was tilling up dirt to build our new greenhouse!) We both proceeded to eat these mini bites straight off the baking sheet before I could even snap a photo. So the fact that there were enough lentil-mushroom bites leftover to snap a few photos is a miracle! I have recently been seeing a lot of recipes for lentil "meatballs" around the web. And while I am 100 percent a lover of all things made vegetarian out of old comfort foods I cannot bring myself to call these little nuggets "meatballs." I haven't had a meatball in years but I'm pretty sure these taste nothing like them. I know the texture is totally different which will throw anyone off if they are trying to compare these to "real" meatballs. They do however, have somewhat of a meaty flavor do to the mushrooms.  Mushrooms, lentils, and tomato sauce is my favorite kind of comfort food. I got the inspiration for this recipe from Kiersten over at Oh My Veggies. I used her recipe as a guide and I am so pleased with how these turned out.  They can be a little finicky and may fall apart while you are eating them but PLEASE don't let that deter you. These were so stinking good that I've made them twice this past week! Honestly, sometimes "messy" food is the best kind of food! These would taste great on top of pasta, in a pita wrap, or on a salad. We enjoyed ours as finger food dipped in the delicious sauce and washed down with a few local IPA beers. Pour a glass and dig in!

Lentil-Mushroom Bites with Harissa-Tomato Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 10-12 bites

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups white mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup veggie stock
  • 2 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
For the Harissa-Tomato Sauce
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (in their juices)
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 TBS harissa (if you are sensitive to spice start with 1 TBS if you like it spicier add more!)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Preparation

For the Meatballs:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine lentils, bay leaf and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. (The lentils will be undercooked but that's what we want!) Discard bay leaf and drain lentils. 
  3. Add mushroom and lentils to a food processor and coarsely chop. Don't over process we still want plenty of texture here!
  4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute stirring frequently. Add lentil mushroom mixture. Cook until starting to brown (about 4 minutes) Add the red wine vinegar and cook until evaporated. Stir in oats, oregano and veggie stock. Continue to cook and stir until moisture has evaporated (about 3 minutes)
  5. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. (This is a good time to taste test, add some salt and pepper if needed).
  6. Once mixture is cool enough to handle form into uniform sized balls. You should be able to make about 10 small "bites"
  7. Lightly grease a baking sheet and place each ball about 1/2 inch apart.
  8. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
For the Harissa-Tomato Sauce:
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for about 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes stirring often. Add tomatoes, harissa and spices, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes. 
  2. Serve with lentil mushroom bites and cilantro.

Notes

Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.

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