Broccoli Balls Recipe

*Ingredients:*

- 1 and 1/3 teaspoons of oil

- 2/3 cup of finely chopped onion

- 1 and 1/3 large head of broccoli, including florets and tender stem (peel off knobs from the stem and use)

- 2 and 2/3 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried basil

- 2/3 teaspoon of dried oregano

- 2/3 teaspoon of garlic

- 2/3 teaspoon of chipotle pepper

- 1/3 teaspoon of ground black pepper

- 1/3 teaspoon of salt (or 1/3 teaspoon if using)

- 1 and 1/3 tablespoons (or more) of nutritional yeast

- 1/3 cup of almond meal

- 1/3 cup (or more) of bread crumbs

- 1 and 1/3 chia seed egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds or chia seed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of warm water, let sit for 2 minutes to gel)

*Variations:*

- 1/3 cup of vegan cheese shreds like almond milk pepper jack or other options like daiya cheddar or pepper jack (optional)

*Instructions:*

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Pulse the broccoli and basil in a food processor until grated. Add to the pan (approximately 2.5 to 3 cups grated). Add a dash of salt, mix, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to dry out excess moisture. If the broccoli is already dry, cook for only a minute. Remove from heat.

3. Add in the spices, almond meal, and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Make the chia seed egg or use 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of flax seed meal + 2.5 tablespoons of warm water) or egg replacer for 1 egg. Mix in. Add vegan cheese shreds if using. Add more breadcrumbs if needed.

4. Shape the mixture into balls. If the balls are too crumbly (depends on moisture content, size of grated broccoli, etc.), add another chia egg or sprinkle some non-dairy milk or aquafaba and mix well.

5. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºC.

6. Bake for a total of 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp and golden on the outside. Turn the sheet around after 15 minutes and continue to bake. You can also sprinkle some cheese shreds on the balls in the last 5 minutes. Serve warm with marinara or over spaghetti or as veggie balls in a sub sandwich.

*Notes:*

- You can use other nuts such as walnuts or pumpkin/sunflower seeds (for a nut-free option) instead of almonds. Process into meal and use, or use more breadcrumbs.

- For variation, add 1/2 to 1 cup of cooked mashed chickpeas or other beans for a heartier veggie ball.

- Nutritional values are based on one broccoli ball.