Page 27 - Fresh Magazine

root & branch reborn

Vegan beetball sub
SERVES 4

80g sun-dried tomatoes, ½ small fresh or vacuum-
not the ones in oil packed beetroot,
3 tablespoons water finely grated
1 tablespoon ground 1 tablespoon fresh
flaxseeds parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, finely FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE waste not, want not
chopped 1 x 400g tin of chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely tomatoes If you are using beetroot you’ve grown yourself,
chopped 1 teaspoon maple syrup don’t forget that beetroot belongs to the same
150g button mushrooms, or honey family as spinach and chard, so you can eat the
roughly chopped pinch of salt leaves and the root. They have a slightly bitter
2½ tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sun-dried flavour and are equally rich in nutrients. Just cook
1 x 400g tin of kidney tomato pesto, optional them as you would spinach with a little olive oil,
beans, drained and some garlic and chilli.
rinsed TO SERVE
150g fresh white 4 whole wheat pittas
breadcrumbs handful of rocket
Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in water for 5 minutes, then
drain the water and finely chop the tomatoes.
To make a flax ‘egg’, mix the water and ground flaxseeds
together in a small bowl and leave for a few minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan set on a high
heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add
the mushrooms and soy sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes,
until they start to smell fantastic and are nice and brown.
Now it’s time to get your sauce on. Place the chopped
tomatoes, maple syrup or honey, and a pinch of salt
in a separate medium pan on a medium heat, stirring
occasionally.
Meanwhile, to make the beetballs, add the mushroom mix
to a large mixing bowl along with the sun-dried tomatoes,
flax ‘egg’, kidney beans, breadcrumbs, grated beetroot and
parsley. Mix well and form into 12 balls a little bigger than a
golf ball. They should stick together.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the frying pan you
cooked the mushrooms in. Fry the beetballs on a high heat,
stirring regularly, until they start to turn golden. This should
only take a couple of minutes for each ball. Cook them in
batches if necessary.
While these are frying, finish your sauce by adding the sun-
dried tomato pesto, if using, and mixing well, then remove
from the heat.
Spread some tomato sauce in each halved pitta. Add three
meatballs to each sub, garnish with a little rocket and enjoy.

SPRING 2017 FRESH | 25

024 fresh_spring 2017_happy pear_v26_KJ.indd 25 13/03/2017 18:57