I love pinning recipes on pinterest, but I love testing them out even more!  I searched through my recipes the other day to see what was in there and I ended up finding two delicious recipes that we just loved!  I altered one a little to accommodate what we had on hand, but they were both so successful I wanted to share them with you guys!

Black Bean “Meatballs” with Lemon-Kale Pesto Sauce: Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen’s Lentil “Meatballs”

“Meatballs”:

• 2 cups cooked black beans
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese
• 
1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
• 
2/3 cup breadcrumbs



Lemon Kale Pesto Sauce



• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup unsalted, slivered almonds
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 
1 cup packed kale leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. water

In a big bowl, using a hand masher, mash the black beans into mush. Add in the rest of the ingredients and let the mix sit for 20 minutes.

For the pesto sauce, put the garlic, almonds, lemon juice nd salt in a blender and run until smooth. Add in the kale and olive oil until you get a smooth, sauce-like consistency. Add water, oil or lemon juice to thin as desired. Stir in the parmesan and set aside. The sauce will keep covered in the fridge for about a week.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Roll the black bean mixture into balls and line them on a baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove to cool slightly. 
Serve with noodles and the lemon kale pesto sauce.

Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes: Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 large tomato, cored and halved crosswise (use the largest tomato you can find!)
• 1 tablespoons butter, divded and sliced thinly
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Sea salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Dividing evenly, top with butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bake tomatoes until tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

This was a delicious meal, and we both remarked how it didn’t even feel meatless at all.  If you’re serving someone who really loves meat and is skeptical about going meatless, give this meal a try!!

For more recipes that I’ve pinned and tried, you can check out my “Successful Pinned Recipes” section on pinterest!