I have been doing some experiments with balls lately, I know I know, what a ridiculous and unclassy word. You would think that we could come up with a more sophisticated term for this small, round, bite sized delights!

Essentially my morning started with banana bread protein balls followed by the creation of various versions of a vegan 'meatball'. I am not one of those people who enjoy creating or eating meat substitutes. I do not buy fake bologna, soy sausages, or chik'n but a friend of mine had asked if I had any really great quinoa 'meatball' recipes that could be used as an appetizer and that spurred 2 afternoons of mixing, blending, cooking, pureeing and experimenting.

My first foray produced two very different options; sweet potato, quinoa and sage balls and the kale, quinoa and chickpea balls. Although the sweet potato balls were quite delicious the texture reminded me of potato puffs. They would be a delightful appetizer but were not quite meatballish, thus the kale quinoa and chickpea versions won out.

These balls are hearty, flavorful and dense, they have a slightly Asian flare but could be easily adapted to an Italian version by using oregano and basil as opposed to ginger and garlic. I can definitely say that I will be eating them with zucchini noodles and a fresh tomato sauce later this week. As I was aiming for appetizer worthy balls I had another decision to make, to fry or not to fry. My preference, for health reasons of course is to bake them but frying them did have its pros - yes I did do two batches, one fried and on baked. Good thing that these freeze well!

The fried balls retained more moisture than the baked version although I did like the somewhat drier texture of the baked balls. Either way works well so I will leave it up to you as to what you prefer. The fried version definitely had that appetizer like feel while the baked version seemed like it would pair best with a noodle of some sort although I did enjoy both versions with the sesame soy dipping sauce.

Don't forget that cooking is supposed to be fun, so invite some friends over, give the recipe a try and have them decide if the fried or baked version is better. Enjoy and healthy eating!

Kale, Quinoa and Chickpea 'Meatballs' with Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

Makes 18-20 balls depending on size

1 15oz can Chickpeas

1/2 small onion

2 large Garlic Cloves

2 in piece of Ginger, peeled

2 cups of loosely packed Kale (about 4 large leaves)

1 Thai Chili Pepper

1 cup Quinoa, cooked

1 Egg

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

1 tbs Sesame Tahini

2 tbs Soy Sauce

1 tbs Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tsp dried Ginger

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Cook the Quinoa according to the package directions, usually 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. Set aside to cool. In a food processor add the chickpeas, pulse to break down into a crumbly texture, do not puree. Add to a large bowl.

In the food processor add the kale, onion, garlic, chili pepper and ginger, pulse a few times to break down and combine. Add to the chickpeas along with the quinoa and stir to combine all of the ingredients, add salt to taste. Add the egg and thoroughly mix until your 'meatball' dough is formed.

With damp hands, roll the mixture into balls, I made two sizes, 1 in. for the fried version and 2 in. for the baked version. If you are going to bake them, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 to brown all sides. If you are going to fry them, heat olive oil or coconut oil in a large pan until shimmering. Add a few of the balls, turning frequently to brown all side. Remove and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and cayenne stirring to combine.

To serve, use toothpicks or lemongrass skewers and arrange with your dipping sauce. Enjoy!

The other day I wandered into my local mom and pop farm market store and discovered some exciting new items! If anyone shops in this kind of store you know that the winter months can be pretty bare. Fruits and veggies are wilted and sad and the variety is often non-existent. After surviving on squash and root vegetables for most of the season I was looking for a little inspiration.

I was pleasantly surprised on this spring day, the store was filled with vibrant fruits and vegetables, many which I had never seen there before; bitter melons, long squash also called bottle gourd or opo squash, green mangos, fresh okra, and giant pods of fresh peas. The store has recently switched hands and the owners, who are Indian have started offering a variety of vegetables used in traditional Indian cooking and I could not be more excited to experiment!

The first thing on my list to try was a green mango salad, Thai style. The salad is simple with unripe mangos, pineapple, peas, chili pepper, cilantro, sesame seeds, cashews, and lime juice. It is crunchy, tart and tangy and gets even tastier with a little resting time.

I hope that you enjoy this delightfully simple salad!

Thai Green Mango and Spring Pea Salad

Serves 2

4 small Green Mango, peeled and sliced into matchsticks

1/2 cup Shelled Peas

1/2 cup Pineapple, cut into matchsticks

2 tbs Toasted Sesame Seeds

1/2 Lime, juiced

1 tsp Crushed Red pepper

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 in Ginger, grated

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1/4 cup Raw Cashews for topping

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes before eating. Plate and top with cashews, Enjoy and Healthy Eating!