Monday, June 21, 2010

Spaghetti & vegan meatballs

As promised, here is the perfect dish over which to serve last entry’s perfect marinara sauce. I used A Vegan For Dinner’s TVP meatball recipe, tweaking it here and there to make it my own. Both times I’ve made these, I’ve eaten them with spaghetti, but you could even ditch the pasta and serve them cocktail-meatball style, with toothpicks and a side of sauce for dipping.

1 cup hot water
2 Tbsp vegan bouillon
2 Tbsp soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp red or brown miso
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup texturized vegetable protein
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 Tbsp warm water
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup cooked couscous (or more oats)
2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp vital wheat gluten

1 batch perfect marinara sauce, to serve
Hot cooked whole-grain spaghetti, to serve


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the first ten ingredients (through black pepper).



Stir in the TVP and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk the flax and warm water; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, oats, couscous (or additional oats), flour, and wheat gluten.



Mix well, kneading the dough until combined.



Roll the dough into 36 meatballs. (To make this easier, divide the dough into quarters, and then shape each quarter into 9 balls.) Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet so that they do not touch.



Mist the tops with cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.



Since they contain so many grains, these aren’t very meaty-tasting (call them "wheatballs" if you must), but they definitely have the well-seasoned flavor and satisfying chew of their namesake. Buon appetito!



Yield: 36 meatballs. Per serving (6 meatballs): 154 calories, 2.2g fat (trace sat), 23.6g carbs, 4g fiber, 10g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Spaghetti with raw tomato sauce
Tofu parmigiana alla marinara
Spaghetti with tomatoes and peas

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9 comments:

  1. They look good Amber. I wonder if bulgar wheat would work in them too?

    I am about to post about my marina sauce too!

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  2. Hmm I think I'm going to try this out this week because they look excellent! I really like the vegan bouillon idea, I will also make that sooner than later :)

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  3. Helen—I think cooked bulgur, or even quinoa, would work just as well.

    Eric—Thanks! I'd love for you to try either, or both.

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  4. Yum! We usually make bean balls, but this recipe sounds interesting with couscous instead. Thanks for sharing it with us! :)

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  5. Ahh, so TVP does have a time and a place! I must admit I have been wanting to give it a go, and so this looks just the ticket. I definitely need to build up my spice pantry a bit first, though - I'm currently working with cinnamon, star anise, smoke paprika, and dried basil (the last of which I never use, but my parents had two bottles in their cupboard, so I figured why nto pinch one?) :D

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  6. Way impressed with this meatball concoction! I tried to make my own meatballs last year but they all fell apart. Maybe I should reinvent the wheel this summer too :) Yours look great!

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  7. Aimee—I've been meaning to try making bean balls myself; got a good recipe?

    Hannah—Yes yes, give the TVP a go! It definitely sounds like you need a visit from the spice fairy, though even pinched basil is good to have in a pinch ;]

    Amanda—Thanks! I've had that problem with recipes in the past, but this one contains so many binding ingredients that it's almost foolproof. Just add a splash more water or veggie broth if the mixture's too dry.

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  8. gosh amber these meatballs would please vegans and meat eaters-how delicious they look! love that you put braggs aminos in them :)

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  9. Fit&40—I love Braggs! And these did in fact earn the Omnivore's Seal of Approval from my boyfriend :]

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