Here I am! I’ve returned after a brief break 😊 specifically to tell you about these oat flakes meatballs with ricotta, aromatic herbs, and curry that I prepared for our usual weekly light section. And much to the delight of my family jury. 😃 Wow, ahah I feared that the oat flakes wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but they passed the test brilliantly!
It’s a tasty and appetizing recipe in this finger food version – finger food is today’s Light and Tasty topic – but it can also be used as a vegetarian main dish, simply by forming larger meatballs or burgers. A test with burgers that I’ve already added to the list of upcoming recipes to try! 😉
I really enjoy using mini meatballs as an appetizer or snack, or as finger food for an aperitif. Have you ever tried these other three recipes? 😉😋👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 32 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups oat flakes
- 1 cup cups ricotta
- 1 egg
- aromatic herbs (fresh)
- aromatic herbs (dried)
- chili pepper
- 1 clove garlic (or cumin)
- 2 teaspoons curry
- 1/2 cup instant polenta
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup plain natural yogurt
- lemon zest (from half a lemon)
Tools
- Bowl
- Grater
- Chopper
- Skewers
- Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Liner
How to Prepare the Oat Flakes Meatballs:
Mix the oat flakes well with the ricotta and egg until you get a fairly compact mixture. If necessary, you can soften it with two or three tablespoons of milk or yogurt or kefir.
Grate the carrot (or a zucchini or other desired vegetable) using a coarse grater and add it to the mixture.
Chop the aromatic herbs (I used all the aromatic herbs I have on the terrace: mint, rosemary, tarragon, fresh oregano, chives) together with the garlic clove and a piece of chili pepper.
Add the chopped herbs to the mixture.
Also add, if desired, some dried aromatic herbs, I added sage, thyme, marjoram, and oregano.
Finally, spice it up with two teaspoons of curry.
Let the mixture rest for a couple of hours to allow the oat flakes to soften.
Take small portions of 15-18 grams (about 1/2 oz) each and form balls by rolling them between your palms.
Moisten 1/4 cup of cornmeal (I used instant polenta flour) with a teaspoon of oil (5 g).
👉 I ended up with exactly 11 g (about 2 teaspoons) of leftover flour, so if you don’t want this leftover, you can try with 40 g (about 1/3 cup) of flour and 4 g (about 3/4 teaspoon) of oil (hooray for being meticulous! 😃😅).
Bread the meatballs by ensuring the cornmeal adheres well to the entire surface.
Cook the oat flakes meatballs in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 392°F.
👉 These meatballs are not greasy, so they can be cooked directly in the basket as it doesn’t get greasy, but you can still use an air fryer paper liner, to avoid the breadcrumbs from falling to the bottom of the basket.
👉 My air fryer is small (2.5 liters), so I did two batches of 16 meatballs each.
👉 Of course, they can also be baked in the oven.
Serve these tasty meatballs accompanied by a lemon-flavored sauce. It’s a very simple sauce: just add grated lemon zest to a plain yogurt or – as I like – to kefir.
Dip the oat flakes meatballs in the lemon sauce… and enjoy your appetizer!
🔸 Letting the mixture rest for a couple of hours is very useful to blend the flavors well and to soften the aftertaste of the oat flakes.
🔸 The mixture is quite compact, so in fact, you could omit the egg (adding an equal weight of more ricotta or yogurt).
🔸 Other sauces suitable for accompanying these meatballs:
Salt-Free Tips
No need to add salt to this recipe! The flavor is provided, adequately, by the aromatic herbs, curry, and chili pepper. 😉
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Gradually decrease salt, your palate has to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Allow yourself to break the rule sometimes. It’s good for the mood and helps to persist.
If you can’t or don’t want to give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes salting according to your habits.
Follow me!
On the WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest, in my two groups: Catia’s Group, in the kitchen and beyond and Exactly what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter
On the WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest, in my two groups: Catia’s Group, in the kitchen and beyond and Exactly what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter
Other Proposals from the Light and Tasty Team:
Carla Emilia: Cod Mille-feuille
Claudia: Piadina Rolls with Ham and Cheese
Daniela: Caprese Finger Food
Elena: Apricots Stuffed with Gorgonzola
Milena: Cucumber Tartines with Hummus and Vegetables
Carla Emilia: Cod Mille-feuille
Claudia: Piadina Rolls with Ham and Cheese
Daniela: Caprese Finger Food
Elena: Apricots Stuffed with Gorgonzola
Milena: Cucumber Tartines with Hummus and Vegetables
