What We Ate Wednesday--Savoury Snack Balls (pizza flavour!)

Hello lovelies! I wasn't sure what to call these snacks.Pizza Balls?  Energy Balls?  Snack Balls? Bliss Balls? (I can't say that. Just the thought of saying the word Bliss and Balls in the same sentence makes me giggle like a thirteen year old boy.) Let me tell you how it all began.

For the last two weekends I have been in London with Extinction Rebellion protesting against climate change. The days were long. I left town at 4am and rode on a bus 5.5 hours to London, tried to save the world and then caught the bus home at 6pm and arrived back home at 11.30pm.

That makes for a long day.

I wasn't sure how much time I would have to eat with all the marching through the streets and the protesting, but I have to eat. I mean I seriously HAVE to eat. I am hypoglycemic and my blood sugar can drop faster than a ride at Alton Towers. I go all funny. I have for my whole life. Ask my mother. She will tell you. I am like a bear who rips your head off and then faints. I get HANGRY (Hungry + Angry.)

Don't  make me hangry. You wouldn't like me when I'm hangry.

So, I knew I needed some quick to eat, high protein snacks that would travel well. In the past I have made sweet snack balls with nuts and dates. But this time I opted for a savoury version.

I was sure someone else had thought of this, so i did a quick google search. Most of the recipes i found required baking. These could probably be baked (a bit like a falafel) but they don't need to be. You can roll 'em up and eat 'em straightaway. My recipe was inspired by the recipe recipe from the blog FROM MY BOWL. I tripled the recipe and amped up the spices. Her recipe looks redder than mine...not sure why. Mine look slightly less appetising, but taste amazing and held up all day in a reusable sandwich box being bashed around in my rucksack. As I was too busy saving the planet to take a photo,  I am subbing in some clip art instead.

Pizza Flavour Snack Balls
1.5 cups walnuts
1 tin white beans (I used cannellini beans, but any soft white bean will do)
4 TB nutritional yeast flakes
4 TB tomato puree
1 tsp dried  oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
5 oil packed sun dried tomatoes, snipped into small bits
4 TB (brown rice) flour

1. Pulse the walnuts into crumbs in a food processor.
2. Add everything else except the flour and whizz until combined. You may need to stop and push it down the sides and blend again. If it doesn't look like it is sticking together then add a TB of water and blend again.
3.Take the blade out of the food processor and add the flour. Stir or mix with your hands until the flour is mixed in.
4. Roll into balls. Mine made about 18 walnut sized balls.  Store in the fridge or in your backpack for a long day of activism.

I bet some chopped olives would be good in it too.

These were good, high in protein, didn't fall apart in my bag and were perfect for travel. They will be my go-to snack from now on.