This recipe for quinoa balls with pine nuts and raisins is a vegetarian adaptation of my favorite Mediterranean-inspired lamb meatballs with pine nuts and raisins. Serve with a creamy herb lemon tahini sauce, homemade pita, and a pumpkin couscous salad, and you've got a Mediterranean meal.
Turn on the oven to 375°F. Put the drained white beans on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly toasted and dried. Let cool and then partially mash in a large bowl, leaving some pieces of bean. You can use this baking sheet for baking the quinoa balls.
1 can (15 ounces) white beans
Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the eggs in into the bowl with the beans. Stir to mix.
2 cups cooked quinoa, ½ cup raisins, ¼ cup pine nuts, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 clove garlic, minced, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Add the lightly beaten eggs to the bowl and stir in completely.
2 eggs
If you have time, let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then use a medium cookie scoop or your hands to shape about 24 firmly-packed, golf ball-sized balls. Cook them on the parchment paper for about 20 minutes until lightly browned.