Easy Mediterranean Lentil Meatballs
Oven roasting is hands down my favorite way to prepare vegetables and that includes fresh summer sweet corn. Roasting the fresh ears while still in their husks keeps them ultra sweet and juicy, plus it’s just so incredibly simple. I added some sweet and spicy honey chili butter to rub onto the roasted corn but, truth be told, when corn is prepared this way it’s so good that I’d be just as happy eating it plain!
Originally posted 5-20-2011, updated 7-27-2021.
Leaving the husk on the corn while it roasts helps hold in the corn’s natural moisture, yielding super juicy kernels that pop with sweetness when you bite into them. It’s truly amazing. Once the corn has roasted, the husks and silk peel away easily so it’s ready to eat in no time.
Choosing corn that is fresh and in season is key because that’s when the corn is the sweetest and juiciest. Older corn can tend to be dry and more starchy rather than sweet. To make sure your corn is fresh, look for husks that are bright green, tight against the cob, and not dry or brown. If the silk is sticking out the top, it should look fresh, moist, and maybe a bit brown, but never black, shriveled, or dry.
Just give me this sweet, sweet corn by itself and I’ll be happy. But alas, that’s not a very well-rounded meal, so here are some ideas of what you can serve with this amazing corn: Fish Tacos with Cumin Lime Coleslaw, BBQ Cheddar Baked Chicken, Beef Taco Skillet, Baked Beef and Black Bean Tacos, or Cilantro Lime Chicken.
As if the juicy roasted corn wasn’t magic enough, have you tried honey chili butter yet?? It’s perfectly sweet, a little spicy, and creamy like a dream. The heat level of the honey chili butter will depend on how spicy your chili powder is. Some brands, like McCormick, are very mild, while others can carry some substantial heat. Keep your leftover honey chili butter in the fridge, where it should stay good for a few weeks.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To prep the ears of corn, cut the very tip off to remove most of the silk, then remove the first couple of layers of husk, leaving a few layers of the thinner husks. Basically, just remove the thicker bright green husks leaving the more tender leaves still attached (prepped ears on the right, unprepped ears on the left). Place the prepped ears of corn in the fully preheated oven, directly on the oven rack. Roast for about 35 minutes.
While the corn is roasting, prepare the honey chili butter. Combine 4 Tbsp room temperature butter with 1 Tbsp honey, ½ tsp chili powder, and ⅛ tsp salt.
Use a fork to sort of whip the honey chili butter together until it is evenly mixed. Set the butter aside.
After the corn has roasted for 35 minutes, the husks should look slightly browned and more papery. Remove them from the oven (use an oven mitt or thick towel to grab them). I placed them on this tray just to transport them, but they roasted directly on the oven rack with no tray. Let them rest for a few minutes, then carefully peel back the husks. The remaining silk will pull off easily.
After removing the husks and silk, smear honey chili butter over the warm ears of corn. Serve immediately!
The post Oven Roasted Corn with Honey Chili Butter appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Don’t you just love it when a recipe is as simple as ‘mix + bake’? No pre-cooking, no unnecessary extra steps – just mix together all of the ingredients, and pop it in the oven. And that’s just the case for these vegetarian lentil meatballs (lentil balls? vegeballs? meatlessballs?). They couldn’t be easier.
Other easy ‘mix and bake’ recipes → easy nut roast; baked fajita rice; Boursin pasta.
I served my lentil balls with spaghetti and tomato sauce – spaghetti and meatballs is such a classic that’s hard to improve on. If you prefer, you could equally serve these vegetarian meatballs with couscous and tzatziki, stuffed into pitta bread, or even just eaten straight from the oven (no judgment here). They’re packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavours, and they’re super versatile.
The basic recipe for these lentil meatballs is canned lentils + flour + egg (the same base I used for my cheesy lentil burgers). Once you’ve got that far, you can jazz things up however you like. I added:
If you like, you could easily switch things up to bring a different flavour profile to your meatballs – maybe you could make a Tex-Mex version, or use some Indian spices, for example.
(1-2 emails per week, no spam)
Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegetarian meatballs. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
You could certainly mix together the ingredients in advance, and then store the mixture in a sealed container in the fridge for a day or so, until you’re ready to shape and bake the balls. The meatballs are tastiest when freshly baked, but if needed, you could even bake them in advance, and then reheat when you’re ready to eat them.
I didn’t experiment with freezing these balls, but it’s the sort of recipe I have had luck with freezing in the past, so I definitely think it’s worth a try.
The easiest way to reheat these lentil meatballs is in the microwave. They do dry out a little and lose their crispiness when reheated, but they’re still tasty. Alternatively, you could re-crisp them in the oven or air fryer.
I served my meatballs with spaghetti and tomato sauce, which worked beautifully. You could alternatively serve them stuffed into pitta bread with some tzatziki, or alongside some mashed potato.
The post Easy Mediterranean Lentil Meatballs appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.
22 Best Soup Recipes
avocado salad
Easy Vegetarian Chili
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Butternut Squash Soup
Pickled Red Onions
Peanut Butter Jelly Bars (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Homemade Garam Masala Spice Blend Recipe