Early Blood Turnip-Rooted Beet-balls with Garlic-Basil Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Beetballs:

• 1 cup red lentils, picked over & rinsed
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 small Early Blood Turnip-Rooted Beet
• (or other beetroot), grated
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 Tbsp gluten-free flour (or all-purpose flour) 2 eggs, beaten (or 4 Tbsp psyllium husks)
• 2 tsp dry thyme
• 1⁄2 tsp ground coriander
• 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp dry garlic powder
• Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced 1 14.5oz can chopped tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1⁄2 cup fresh dill, chopped (optional) Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 375° F. Place lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add lentils to food processor; blend until smooth. Do not add any water. Transfer lentil paste to a large bowl. Add remaining beetball ingredients and mix
2. 2
   to combine. Let the composition sit for 5 minutes so it will be sticky enough to shape. Scoop a teaspoon of mixture into palms and roll into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each.
3. 3
   Place a small pot filled with water into the preheated oven on the bot- tom rack. Bake the beetballs until they firm up and turn slightly golden brown, about 20 minutes.
4. 4
   To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a large pan. Add diced onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about
5. 5
   1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. 6
   Add cooked beetballs to the sauce and turn to coat. Cook another minute or so for flavors to incorporate. Top with freshly chopped herbs and serve.