Balls of Nourishment
These are as healthy as I want to get today. I really wanted to make meatballs that I can bake, get all of my protein and fiber for the month in, and that would go well with a semi-fattening alfredo sauce. Here's what I came up with! I got the idea of using bulgar from this low-fat Jewish vegan cookbook I somehow acquired. Except that recipe was very simple, boring and a tad bland. With some italian spices and herbs and few trickster ingredients, my version of meatballs have a bit more depth.
If you want to make a gluten free version of this it really wouldn't be hard. Instead of bulgar you could probably use rice, oats, nuts, tvp (although I hate that), a combination of all of these things, etc. Any grain really. Use the brown rice flour instead of whole wheat, and either gluten free breadcrumbs or more tapioca!
This is no rocket science, you just need the "dough-like meaty substance" to stick together and bind. Having the breadcrumbs in the mix allows the balls to crisp up very nicely. The egg replacer makes them puff up slightly! Cool!
Now if I were to make faux "meatballs" as I remember them from my mother and grandmother, I would do things a little differently. Maybe I'll post another recipe when I feel like being a little naughty aka frying things. In that case I would forgo the breadcrumbs and the pastry flour, add more tapioca, go with brown rice flour and straight up gluten, add another egg replacer, and then finally bread the balls with a chickpea flour-water blend and breadcrumbs, and then fry in lots of olive oil. My grandmother used to put raisins and pinenuts inside her meatballs too. Boy were those good.
1 heaping cup of cooked lentils
*1 cup of dried lentils to 3 cups of water, cook for 30-45 depending*
1 heaping cup of bulgar
*1 cup dried bulgar to 2 cups of boiling water, let sit for 15 minutes off heat*
3/4 cup red kidney beans, mashed roughly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
black pepper
dash of allspice
pine nuts and raisins (optional grandma ingredient)
2 Tb whole wheat pastry flour or brown rice flour
2 Tb whole wheat bread crumbs
3 Tb tapioca starch
2 Tb nooch
2 ener-g egg replacers- I used one but I wish i used two. I'll figure out the definitive amount next time I make these.
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp better than beef boullion dissolved in 2 Tb water
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion (1/4 cup) minced
1 shallot, minced
Sautee the onion and shallot in olive oil for 10 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, including the sauteed onions and shallots. Once just combined, work with hands into a dough. Grease a baking sheet, line em up, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until crispy on outside. Easy Peasy! Unless you are like me and totally overcook them because I'm a space cadet. Oops!
I served these with the Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce from Vegan Yum Yum. Her food photography makes me want to cry over how hopeless i am with my stupid found-at-a-bar digital camera. But the recipe definitely did not come out the same color as the picture! Theresa explained to me that she uses a VitaMix which completely changes the outcome of blended cashews, ya know? I decided to add silken tofu, coconut creamer, more earth balance and salt and some roasted red peppers as she suggested. Serve with steamed broccoli, black pepper, fresh basil and red pepper flakes. Also, I used my absolute second favorite pasta runner up to bucatini! Fusilli Lunghi!
Anyways, goodnight. Don't be sad tonight.
over and out,
jP
If you want to make a gluten free version of this it really wouldn't be hard. Instead of bulgar you could probably use rice, oats, nuts, tvp (although I hate that), a combination of all of these things, etc. Any grain really. Use the brown rice flour instead of whole wheat, and either gluten free breadcrumbs or more tapioca!
This is no rocket science, you just need the "dough-like meaty substance" to stick together and bind. Having the breadcrumbs in the mix allows the balls to crisp up very nicely. The egg replacer makes them puff up slightly! Cool!
Now if I were to make faux "meatballs" as I remember them from my mother and grandmother, I would do things a little differently. Maybe I'll post another recipe when I feel like being a little naughty aka frying things. In that case I would forgo the breadcrumbs and the pastry flour, add more tapioca, go with brown rice flour and straight up gluten, add another egg replacer, and then finally bread the balls with a chickpea flour-water blend and breadcrumbs, and then fry in lots of olive oil. My grandmother used to put raisins and pinenuts inside her meatballs too. Boy were those good.
1 heaping cup of cooked lentils
*1 cup of dried lentils to 3 cups of water, cook for 30-45 depending*
1 heaping cup of bulgar
*1 cup dried bulgar to 2 cups of boiling water, let sit for 15 minutes off heat*
3/4 cup red kidney beans, mashed roughly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
black pepper
dash of allspice
pine nuts and raisins (optional grandma ingredient)
2 Tb whole wheat pastry flour or brown rice flour
2 Tb whole wheat bread crumbs
3 Tb tapioca starch
2 Tb nooch
2 ener-g egg replacers- I used one but I wish i used two. I'll figure out the definitive amount next time I make these.
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp better than beef boullion dissolved in 2 Tb water
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion (1/4 cup) minced
1 shallot, minced
Sautee the onion and shallot in olive oil for 10 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, including the sauteed onions and shallots. Once just combined, work with hands into a dough. Grease a baking sheet, line em up, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until crispy on outside. Easy Peasy! Unless you are like me and totally overcook them because I'm a space cadet. Oops!
I served these with the Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce from Vegan Yum Yum. Her food photography makes me want to cry over how hopeless i am with my stupid found-at-a-bar digital camera. But the recipe definitely did not come out the same color as the picture! Theresa explained to me that she uses a VitaMix which completely changes the outcome of blended cashews, ya know? I decided to add silken tofu, coconut creamer, more earth balance and salt and some roasted red peppers as she suggested. Serve with steamed broccoli, black pepper, fresh basil and red pepper flakes. Also, I used my absolute second favorite pasta runner up to bucatini! Fusilli Lunghi!
Anyways, goodnight. Don't be sad tonight.
over and out,
jP
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