Vegan Meatless Meatballs in Homemade Tomato Sauce
Meatless Monday? What about Meatless Many-days? Regardless of what day of the week you have made it to or have joined in reading this, it can be a meatless day for you. Be vegan, you have clearly chosen to follow a meatless lifestyle but if you do eat meat, to whatever degree, eating a wholesome plant based diet on the occasion, can mean a variety of benefits for yourself, your wallet and your time spent in the kitchen.
I am not going to get into the argument about the effects eating meat has on the environment because I basically I do not want to join the endless numbers of documentaries, jounernals and news articles out there both, supporting and disproving this ideology. I’m going to leave that to the professionals or those who think they are categories as a “professional”. Here, we will talk about a delicious, healthy, wholesome and meatless alternative to add into your already plant based diet or to integrate into your current weekly meal plan for a unique and nutritious vegan dinner. Sound good? Okay.
Meatballs - a classic Italian dish often simmered in a thick tomato puree and served with an abundance of al dente spaghetti. So let’s keep with something familiar to both adults and children and make meatless meatballs.
First, let’s talk about how these meatless meatballs stay ball like when there is no egg (typically used to bind ingredients together) or meat to bind. Simple. It’s the rather plain but successful flour/ water duo that many people learn in school, as agents that form a type of edible glue. Add breadcrumbs to the mix, which swell when soaked then tighten when baked, means your balls will most certainly remain balls. See, No Egg!
Now, what makes it that meaty colour without the existence of actual meat? No, no preservatives, soy based “meats” or colourings. Again, simple. Lentils. They are so inexpensive, accessible on a global basis and they are packed full of nutrients, mainly iron and protein. In fact one lentil, it’s made up of over 25% protein and 37% iron. In one cup of lentils, that is your entire day’s worth of iron and protein in one meal.
Further more, lentils contain;
fiber
vitamin B6
folate
low calories and fat
thiamine
folate
magnesium
niacin
potassium
zinc
pantothenic acid
copper
manganese
There are a number of different types of lentils including;
brown - most commonly used, accessible and an inexpensive. They are best cooked and eaten hot. They are used for slow cooking as they hold their shape well
puy - originated from Le Puy in France. These are one of the smaller types of lentils and have a slightly peppery flavour
green - the second cheapest from brown lentils and are best cooked in warming winter curries
yellow - these are split and are great for a lot of Indian stews and curries
red - these are split and are great for a lot of Indian stews and curries
beluga - these are one of the more expensive types of lentils, look a bit like caviar and are great in salads or slides hot/cold
Tomato talk now… Homemaking your tomato sauce is one of the easiest, inexpensive and satisfying procedures in cooking. Tin tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and oil - basic ingredients that you’ll have lying around. Chop, bang them in a saucepan and Bob’s your uncle. You can take it one step further if you do have an abundance of ripe tomatoes, then use these fresh tomatoes as I think it’s always ends in a better sauce. It will need to be cooked down for longer as there is more liquid mass in fresh than tin tomatoes. If you feel that you need a hint of sweetness due to slight unripe tomatoes (which often happens if the tomatoes are not vine ripen or over watered from tins), sprinkle a teaspoon of brown sugar to counter act this. If you don’t have enough time or cannot conjure up the strength to make your own homemade tomato sauce, please, make sure you buy a good quality jar because this does make or break the dish.
These make for the best left overs as well as being perfect freezer back up for a later date. This quantity does serve around 4-6 people so if you are eating alone or with two people, make this whole batch, freeze half the remaining balls and eat the other half the following day. When you are after something quick, take the balls out of the freezer about 6 hours before meal time or simply microwave (on defrost for 2-3 minutes or on medium/high heat for 5-8 minutes).
That’s all from me. Apart from saying enjoy :)
xx
Vegetarian Meatballs in Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
400 grams cooked lentils
2 small onions, finely diced
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, diced
2 tsp salt
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 stalks parsley with stem, finely chopped
2 cups flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tin crushed Italian tomatoes
2 stalks parsley, chopped with stems
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp coconut milk (optional)
Method
Meatball Batter Making; In a small pan, sauté onions, eggplant, zucchini and lentils along with 1 teaspoon salt - normally this takes 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together the spring onions, parsley, dried oregano, black pepper and the other teaspoon of salt. When the veggies are cook, add them into the bowl along with the breadcrumbs. Allow to cool before adding the egg - if you do not wait you can end up with some bits of scrambled egg throughout. Mix well then add the flour along with 1 cup of water - alternating in halves. The mixture should be very thick and almost not being able to be mixed by the end - this will allow for circular and easily rolled balls.
Make them into balls; Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius. Line a baby tray with parchment paper. Dust your hands with some flour and scoop about a large tablespoon of mixture. Using the palms of your hands, roll into a ball and place on the tray. Repeat until the mixture is finished - do try to cover your hands with flour each time as otherwise you will end up with batter stuck to your hands and not into a ball.
Baking time; Cover the balls with a generous amount of oil to ensure they are all covered. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the balls over.
Saucy Sauce; In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil then add the onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until translucent but without burning. Add the garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt. Cook for a further minute then add the tomatoes along with half a tin of water. Cook, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add a good crack of pepper and the coconut milk. Grab yourself a spoon and sneak a little test try, season accordingly.
Making it a Meal; When the balls are cooked, they should be golden on both sides, add them to the sauce. Give them a minute or two to cook in the sauce, absorbing some of the tomatoey goodness. Serve hot with parmesan, extra parsley and a sprinkle of sea salt. I like to pair these with cous cous or white bean mash.
