I committed a cardinal "sin" of sustainability / cooking / baking. I bought an ingredient for one recipe and had no additional plans. Yikes. Sitting in my pantry, I have a (quite large) bag of beet powder. It's beautiful in color but VERY concentrated in flavor. The smallest dose will change the flavor profile of the dish you have added it to, and in some cases, that's not a good thing (enter a few smoothies and desserts). So, after I made the cranberry-beet tart (that didn't quite turn out anyways), I still have this bag of powder to use...sigh.
I originally started this recipe hoping to "color" the insides of the protein balls a beautiful pink. Knowing the flavor concentration, I started small with the addition and counted on the pomegranate molasses to give some depth. I tasted the dough and liked the flavor so even though it wasn't pink dough, I didn't want to add more beet flavor with additional powder. But, I still took a chance on rolling the balls for a pretty pink exterior. Beautiful; inside and out - flavor plus visuals.
Sustainability Spotlight: Think about all the things that we gravitate towards as humans. Things that we think are beautiful. Fashion, cars, pictures, each other...all exterior visual representations. Now, think about what's on the "inside" of those things of beauty. The "inside" of fashion can be animal cruelty (furs, leathers, skins) or environmental pollution (plastics, metal mining and resource over use). The "inside" of cars is similar for pollution from petroleum, metal forging and transportation (yes, we ship cars overseas)! The "inside" of pictures can be manipulation of a scene or components for false information or to create conversational discord. And, the "inside" of humans; well, we know that can be quite ugly indeed...
You see, humans consume to create and exemplify beauty and that beauty often costs the planet with resource overuse, pollution, and continued materialism. Driving more, and more and more of the negative feedback cycle.
What could be considered beautiful on the inside and out? Nature. It's gorgeous. Unfettered, it could flourish and heal the planet. It can provide cleaner air, cleaner oceans / waterways, and more beauty than any human creation could ever hold. Nature is self-regulating and creating opportunity for life in the strangest places. Top to bottom, this planet is filled with life, but that life has been marginalized by humans. We believe we should "rule" the world and not be stewards of the flora and fauna that inhabit with us. Humans continue to take from the diversity of the Earth and do not consider how we are effecting great change or harm; despite being faced with the reality of the destruction of the beauty evidenced all around us.
What if humans changed how they perceive themselves and the Earth? What if we truly cared about the beauty on the inside and out of the planet? What kind of gorgeous world would that be?
Even more beautiful than these protein balls, I'm sure. In the meantime, make the world beautiful by taking small chances on change - by making these beautiful protein balls because they are all around beautiful - their contents, their creation and how it fuels you!
Be inspired and go be beautiful = )
Ingredients:
1.25 cups oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 scoops plant-based vanilla protein powder (I used Garden of Life Plant-Based Sport)
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/8 tsp beet powder
pinch of salt
3 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1/4 medium orange zested & 1/2 juiced
1/4 cup oat milk
1/4 cup beet powder (for rolling)
Directions:
Add oat flour through pinch of salt to a food processor bowl fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients.
Add remaining ingredients and process till smooth and fully incorporated.
In a shallow bowl (or plate), add 1/4 beet powder for rolling.
Using a small cookie scoop (1 tbsp), scoop dough and roll into balls. Roll the protein balls in the beet powder and set aside. Balls will darken as beet powder "settles" onto the surface of the balls and they will turn the gorgeous pink you see in the photo.
Enjoy 2 balls as a snack or post-workout snack. Store remaining balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
With love & hope for a better future for all of us - Jamie