I always try to come up with new recipes for Friday dinner. I like trying new stuff, and since my husband is vegetarian, I like playing around with vegetables and see what I come up with that is not that dull traditional vegetarian dish.Here you have a recipe for something that is easy to make, yummy to eat and you can also place the uncooked balls in the freezer and throw them into the sauce when you decide you want to make them.

Ingredients for balls: (yields about 2 dozens)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ onion (chopped)

300 gram fresh mushrooms (about 10 mushrooms) – sliced

4-5 chopped broccoli flowers

½ tsp Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 cups wheat semolina (or wheatlets)

½ cup water

 

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

½ onion – chopped

1 liter boiling water

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Cumin

1 ½ cans tomato paste (156gr each) OR 10 tbsp

 

How to make the sauce:

1. Lightly fry chopped onion over 2 tbsp oil (until softens).

2. Add the boiling water.

3. Add tomato paste and spices into boiling water. Stir well and cook over medium-high heat until boils.

4. Decrease heat to medium after sauce boiled and let cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Drop balls gently into the sauce.

 

How to make the Veggie Balls:

1. In a frying pan, heat the 1 tbsp oil and add the onion, sliced mushrooms and broccoli. Stir gently until mushrooms and broccoli soften and fluids are drained. Remove from pan and place in large bowl.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl while stirring. The mix is ready when you can take some of the mixture in your hand and create a ball that’s not too soft and all the ingredients are stuck together.

3. Create ping pong size balls using a teaspoon. If mixture is sticky you can wet your hands and then create the balls.

4. Place the ready balls into the hot (gently boiling) sauce.

5.  Cook for 20 minutes until the inside of the balls is cooked.

The best way to be sure is to take out 1 ball and cut it in half. You’ll see that if it’s not ready there will be some dry looking wheat inside.

As the wheat semolina absorbs liquids, even after you turn the heat off the veggie balls will still keep on absorbing the sauce for a while so the odds that it won’t be ready are slim.

You can either eat as is or serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

This dish can be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days.