Crispy Veg Bites

A few days ago I was scrolling past a bunch of delicious looking restaurant menus and reminiscing of times Mum and I would order a bunch of appetizers and a bottle of wine to share instead of an actual 'dinner'. Suddenly I got such a hankering for arancini- those gorgeous deep fried balls of risotto and cheesy goodness. This got me thinking- how can I make something similar without grain or rice (or cheese!)? That's how these crispy vegetable bites were born!

These go beautifully as an appetiser or snack with a freshly made tomato based sauce such as a marinara or puttanesca style dip, or as lunch alongside a crispy salad with some olives and capers. They freeze really well too, so you can make a bunch using the recipe below, leave some aside to cool, keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 6 months, and re-heat for 15 minutes at 425°F/215°C before serving.

Ingredients (makes around 12 balls)
3 large potatoes, such as Russett or Maris Piper, washed and peeled
2 swedes or rutabaga, peeled
1 large or 2 small shallot(s), finely chopped
1 tin beans, drained- I used canelini (look out for 'no salt added' on the label to ensure they're low sodium!)
Raw almonds, around 2oz/60g, crushed
1 tbsp Everything (but the Bagel) seasoning - I used Mrs Dash's which is salt free. If you can't locate this, you can make your own using garlic granules, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

Method
Preheat the oven to 400° F/ 200° C
Fill 2/3 a large saucepan with water, and bring it to boil
Chop the potatoes and swede/rutabaga and add to the water, cook for around 10 minutes
Add the beans to the saucepan and cook for around 5 more minutes, until the vegetables are soft enough to crush with a fork
Drain and mash
Add 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast, and the garlic and onion poders, and mix.
Add the rest of the nutritional yeast, the crushed almonds, and the Everything seasoning into a bowl
Form the mashed mixture into balls, dip into a little water, then roll in the almond and seasoning mix to coat entirely
Place each ball on a baking tray lined with parchment (baking) paper
Bake the balls for 15 minutes, turning half way through

Enjoy with a glass of white, good company, and (hopefully) gorgeous weather!