With a crisp shell, a tender center, and a rich flavor enhanced by pesto, these vegetarian (vegan friendly) lentil meatballs are a total revelation.
Hello my friends,
As I mentioned in this week’s bonus post for paid subscribers, one of my weeknight dinner strategies this month has been to make a pot of bubbling polenta/grits, which we use as base for DIY bowls topped with roasted vegetables, sausages, or, my new favorite, these meatballs. For me there are few dinners as soothing—it’s a meal that feels like a hug from the inside out, encouraging me to cozy up and settle in.
When we feel soothed and settled, our nervous systems are in a relaxed state, which helps our digestive system function properly. However, I spent many years of my life jumping into dinner in a heightened state of stress, without even realizing it. I would go straight from work, to kids, to dinner prep, to eating without ever taking a breath. I didn’t realize it at the time, but in the rush to cook and eat my body was in a heightened fight-or-flight state. As a result, I suffered from chronic heartburn for close to five years when my kids were young.
As Samantha Fulton, MPT, E-RYT, PPCES, explains in this podcast episode, when our nervous systems are heightened, our digestion slows down. If we were running from a bear, she explained, we would want all of that energy to go to running from the bear, not towards digesting dinner. While we’re not running from bears in our home kitchens, our bodies still think they are if we’re in a fight-or-flight state.
It wasn’t until I started deep breathing and bringing intention into the kitchen that I was able to find balance, turning the dinner hour from a stressful race-against-time into a (messy, certainly imperfect) experience of self care. The secret? I began regulating my nervous system before cooking (although at the time I didn’t realize that that was what I was doing). As I dropped into a calm state, I could then better enjoy the cooking process and the eating process. My digestion improved, and I was eventually able to get off of heartburn medication altogether.
Luckily, sometimes all it takes is a few deep breaths to bring our nervous systems back into balance. This week, my invitation is to check in with your nervous system before you start cooking and before you start eating. If you feel like you’re in a heightened state, perhaps you’d like to try one of the easy practices below. They only take a few seconds, and I promise they will help make the cooking process a bit more ease-filled (and perhaps even more fun).
Easy ways to regulate your nervous system before cooking and eating
Deep breathing: Take a few deep breaths, filling up your entire stomach and lungs. Feel the air move to the top of your head, then slowly release it, imagining it traveling all the way down your body, exiting through your feet on the floor.
Physiological sigh: Take a full deep breath, then breathe in one more sip of air. Open your mouth and slowly sigh the air out (you can also make crazy noises, which sometimes feels good). Do this a few times.
Tap into your senses: Feel into each of your senses, naming out loud what you see, feel, smell, hear and taste.
Dance: Turn on your favorite song and have a dance party! Get out of your head and into the joy of movement.
Work with me!
If you’re seeking more presence, connection and ease in the kitchen, I’m here to help. In my one-on-one coaching and cooking sessions I work with clients to help them find more freedom in the kitchen by helping them uncover their challenges/blocks as cooks and eaters, discover their unique digestion, tap into their intuition, and create meaningful shifts. You can learn more at the links below (paid subscribers receive 20% off all sessions!).
Now my friends, let’s cook.
Pesto Lentil Meatballs
This recipe was inspired by a paid subscriber who requested a lentil meatball recipe (did you know that paid subscribers have the ability to request recipes?!). While I’ve developed plenty of meaty balls in my past (including these bison meatballs, turkey meatballs, and these slow cooker meatballs) I would never have thought to develop a lentil meatball. Thank you, Sheena, because now I’m hooked. I hope you’ll love them too.
Paid subscribers can not only request recipes, but they also have access to the full recipe archive, receive bonus content, get exclusive discounts on my one-on-one sessions, and more. If you’d like to join, click the button below. Thank you so much.
The meatless balls feature a crisp outer shell and tender center that’s flavored with garlic, shallot, parmesan cheese and pesto. Since the meatballs are bound with ground flaxseed instead of an egg, you can easily make them vegan by using a vegan parmesan and pesto.
Pile the meatballs over creamy polenta/grits for an elegant, soul-soothing dinner. Just remember to take a few deep breaths before diving in. 😉
Recipe tips:
French green lentils, which are smaller and darker in color than regular green lentils, have a firm texture works best in these meatballs. You can find them in most markets (Bob’s Red Mill brand is widely available). Feel free to make a large batch and freeze them! You’ll need 2 cups of packed cooked lentils for the meatballs.
Uncooked and cooked French green lentils A small ice cream scoop makes it easy to portion out these meatballs (it’s also great for cookies).
Watch how the meatballs come together in this video:
You can download a PDF of the recipe below (I’ve also included text and JPEG versions of the recipe at the bottom of the newsletter):
A quick favor! If you appreciate this newsletter, would you mind clicking the heart ❤️ in the upper left? It really helps support this work and spread the love.
Wishing you a delicious weekend, my friends. Remember to nourish yourself with intention and love.
xo, Nicki
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Lentil Pesto Meatballs (Vegetarian, Vegan Option)
These meatless meatballs are a revelation. They have a crisp outer shell with a light and tender center that’s flavored with garlic, shallot, parmesan cheese (regular or vegan) and pesto. You can cook the lentils several days (or months) in advance, making this a quick and easy dinner. Be sure to use French green lentils, sometimes called Puy lentils or petite green lentils, which will give you a better texture than regular green lentils (see the tips). Since the meatballs are bound with ground flaxseed instead of egg, they’re also vegan friendly. Pile the cooked meatballs over polenta/grits with a drizzle of pesto for an elegant, soul-soothing dinner.
Serves: 4
3/4 cup French green lentils (sometimes called Puy lentils or petite green lentils—see the tips)
Vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (regular or vegan), plus more for serving
2 tablespoons pesto (homemade or store-bought) or salsa verde, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1-2 tablespoons oat flour or all-purpose flour
Polenta/Grits, for serving
Cook the lentils
Rinse the lentils in cold water, then transfer them to a small saucepan. Pour in enough broth or water (or a mix) to cover the lentils by at least 1 inch (you can also throw in a smashed garlic clove and/or any herb sprigs you have laying around for even more flavor). Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but still firm (not mushy), about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and rinse them in cold water. Transfer the lentils to a bowl and season them with salt and pepper. Do Ahead: The cooked lentils can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Make the meatballs
In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water. Let sit to thicken (this is going to bind the meatballs).
In a small skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil along with the shallot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a food processor. Add the drained lentils, parmesan cheese, pesto, Italian seasoning, and thickened flax, and season with salt and pepper. Pulse, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the mixture is very finely chopped (but not pureed) and sticks together. Pulse in 1 tablespoon of oat flour (it’s okay if the edges still look floury). If the mixture still seems quite wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
Form the mixture into golf ball-sized balls—you should get 15-16 balls (a small ice cream scoop is helpful here, or you can just eyeball it). Arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the lentil balls for at least 5 minutes, or cover and refrigerate them for up to 1 day. Do Ahead: The lentil balls can be formed 1 day before cooking.
Cook the meatballs and serve
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the lentil balls in the pan, and let them cook until they’re deep golden brown on the bottom (if you try to flip them too quickly they will fall apart, so let them get nice and toasty). Gently flip the balls over (you can nudge them back into shape if needed) and continue cooking until browned on all sides. It will take about 6-8 minutes total.
Serve the lentil meatballs over polenta/grits, if you’d like. Drizzle with pesto, and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Do Ahead: The uncooked lentil balls can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day before cooking.
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