This recipe was inspired (and slightly modified) from Alexandra Stafford’s recipe. I am always excited to find new veggie ball recipes that are easy and this one packs more greens into each tiny ball than the last veggie ball recipe I’ve shared, and any other that I’ve seen, really. This is my first try at this recipe and I used wilted spinach, arugula and kale. I’m super excited to try it out again with the greens that I tend to otherwise neglect, like beet greens, carrot greens, turnip greens…the list goes on! I think this will be a welcome alternative to my everything caldo (stew) that I default to on my uninspired dinner nights.

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small bunches of greens (chopped should amount to 5 or 6 cups). Try the carrot tops and beet greens from this week’s Fresh Five bag!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

salt to taste

1/2 cup cilantro, parsley or basil

1 tbs cumin seeds or 1/2 tbs ground cumin

1 cup breadcrumbs (or 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 oat flour if you want a gluten-free version)

1/2 crumbled feta or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 or 2 eggs (probably just 1!)

Instructions:

1. Finely chop the greens

2. Saute oil, onion and salt for about 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly brown

3. Add finely chopped garlic, herbs (cilantro, parsley or basil) and cumin and saute for 30 seconds

4. Add greens to the pan and saute for a minute.

5. Let cool for a few minutes then add breadcrumbs and feta or nutritional yeast. Mix well and taste. Add more salt now if desired.

6. Crack an egg in the bowl and work it into the mixture with your hands. Form a ball (about the size of a cherry tomato). If it doesn’t hold together, add another egg. Form the rest of the mixture into balls.

7. Spread the balls out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over them. Roll them around a little bit to spread the oil on most sides. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes.