Beans and pepper veggie balls with lemon mayo

My partner had planned to try this recipe but I came home early from work. I was already starving by 4.30pm so I decided to crack on or I'd be waiting a long time for dinner.

I had not done veggie balls before. I was surprised of its smooth texture and delicious taste. A recipe to repeat!

There was leftover mayo from the Stuffed eggs (Huevos rellenos) recipe. I couldn't believe that, almost 4 weeks later, it was still edible!! There was only enough to make half the amount required but it was enough for half the veggie balls.

From 'CookSmart Vegetarian', a Octopus Publishing Group publication.

Serves: 4 persons.

Ingredients:

• 75g green beans, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g red kidney beans, cooked and drained
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp paprika (the recipe called for piri-piri instead of paprika and chilli but we are not fans of very hot food)
• 1 chilli, chopped
• 75g white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk
• salt & pepper to taste
• vegetable oil to fry
• For the lemon mayo:
• 4 tbsp mayo
• 1 lemon: grate and 1 tsp juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil the green beans in salted water for 1-2 min, until tender. Drain and reserve.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and fry the garlic, the pepper, the chilli and the paprika for 2 min.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add the mixture to a blender with the red kidney beans, the breadcrumbs and the egg yolk. Blitz until coarsely chopped.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add the green beans, salt & pepper to taste and blitz until evenly blended. The recipe did not call for further vegetable oil but I ended up adding a further 2 tbsp as the mixture was too dry and the blender was complaining.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Divide the mixture evenly and make balls, with lightly floured hands. The recipe stated 8 veggie balls but this would make gigantic balls so I settled on a sensible size and ended up with 14 veggie balls.
   
   
   
6. Make the lemon mayo:
1. Mix the mayo, the lemon grate and juice and salt & pepper to taste.

   

   Leftover mayo
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the veggie balls for 3 min on each side, until crunchy and golden.
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Serve immediately with the lemon mayo. We also served it with rice.