Pumpkin, walnut and quinoa balls

Where are my manners? I have been quite slack and haven't posted healthy recipes for far too long. You poor, deprived people!

Let's hope this simple, vegan, budget meal impresses. If you're a carnivore, just look at it as another way to enjoy your veggies :)

My healing journey has been, for the most part, pretty good, with a hiccup or two thrown in here and there. Esophageal spasms are not nice. Hideously painful is perhaps a better description. And frightening.  

It has taken me a while to be able to eat most things again. However, this girl finds that veggies and veggie based meals are the clear winner. My energy is higher, my moods better, my insides happier.   

It also helps me keep the weight down. I've dropped clothing sizes and kept several kilo's off since surgery. I would like to keep it that way. I will point out that a high fat diet just isn't going to cut it for me anymore either. I hate how fat makes me feel, so it's got to be limited. And when I do eat fatty foods, I aim to make it plant based, like the kind found in nuts.

I love walnuts. So of course, they are going to be a star player in this dish.

Enter my...

PUMPKIN, WALNUT & QUINOA BALLS 

ingredients:
Approx 600g dry roasted pumpkin (I like mine unpeeled for extra fibre)
1 cup walnuts 
1/3 cup cooked quinoa
seasoning
curry powder

method:

• Pre-heat oven to approx 200 degrees celcius.
• Roughly chop pumpkin and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
• Bung in the oven and let it cook until soft inside and browned outside- about 40-50 mins. May help to turn pieces once.
• While pumpkin is cooking, place 1/3 of a cup of quinoa into a pot with 2/3 of a cup of water. Season with veggie stock and/or salt and pepper.
• Stir until boiling. Turn off heat, cover, and let simmer until quinoa is tender. Allow to cool.
• Place cooled pumpkin and mostly drained quinoa into a food processor. Add walnuts and curry powder.
• Blitz. Stop to wipe down sides if needed and blitz again.
• On a clean tray with fresh baking paper, shape into sticky balls and place onto un-greased tray.
• Cook in a moderate oven for 20-30 mins or until lightly golden and firmer to touch.

Enjoy!

Served with a salad, these were seriously delish! Limiting myself to three was tough, so the salad helped. Definitely something I'll be making again and again.

You can shape balls to whatever size you prefer. As I was cooking for two, I made 8 balls which allowed for 2 left over for me to snack on later :)

Here are the cooked portions of yumminess, fresh from the oven. The walnuts give them plenty of natural oil, so adding any more is just unnecessary. They are also quite moist inside.

Do yourself a favour and try these! They're healthy, nutritious, delicious :)