Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan)

Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan) are truly one of the most delicious faux ‘meatballs’ one can make. I love the flavor, texture, and the fact that they are crazy easy and quick to chef up! This recipe comes from my mother via my Aunt Lisa, or so I think. The original recipe calls for egg and cheese so I’ve made my own vegan version for y’all. Honestly, they taste exactly the same and hold together just as well.

I became a vegetarian when I was 8 years old. I never faltered for even a moment after I had made the decision to go meat-free. Thankfully, my mother rarely cooked meat anyway and was incredibly health-conscious – far beyond where the rest of the world was. I was eating quinoa balls, tofu dishes, going to vegetarian cooking classes at the local health food store, chowing down on eggplant meatballs, etc FAR before anyone had ever heard of the word ‘quinoa’, none-the-less could even pronounce it! I am beyond grateful to have had a parent with this understanding of nutrition and food many moons before the health trends (grains, tofu, non-dairy milks, etc) hit the US.

I shattered both of my wrists when I was eleven. Yup. That sucked. I started my very first day of middle school with two casts and a new set of metal in my mouth. People would walk up to me and say, “So you’re the girl with two broken arms!” To which my drugged up and angry self would reply, “Who else do you think it is?!” It’s amazing that I had friends and wasn’t a freakin’ social pariah. Anyway, my point in sharing this with you is to mention that my doctors were concerned that I wouldn’t heal quickly because I was a vegetarian. My mother argued that I was far healthier than most children. Alas, I healed weeks before they expected. My sisters were quite thankful as well, as I no longer had two hard weapons to bang heavily atop their heads. Okay, so I wasn’t the model older sister. I was more of an asshole. So sue me! I was a pretty crazy kid. I’ve grown, or so they say. 😉  

Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan) are a must for your recipe index. Give them a go and send pictures or use my Heyoya to speak your comment instead of writing it! Mangia! Your listening tune for this recipe below:

 

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS (VEGAN)

Yields: Approximately 15 eggplant balls

Ingredients:

3 Tbl olive oil

3 cloves garlic – chopped

1 large eggplant – peeled & diced

1 Tbl water

1 C seasoned bread crumbs (I used Panko & seasoned with Italian herbs)

1/2 C fresh parsley –  loosely chopped

1/2 C grated vegan cheese (I grated Follow Your Heart’s Mozzarella)

Olive oil for pan

Marinara sauce 

Your favorite pasta if serving as a meal (I used whole wheat spaghetti for a classic ‘spaghetti and meatballs’ dish)

Instructions:

In a large saucepan heat the oil and add the garlic – stir occasionally for about 1 minute

Add the eggplant and water and then cover

Reduce the heat and then steam until the eggplant is very soft – about 15 minutes

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggplant, bread crumbs, parsley, and cheese

Mix very well and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes

Form the mixture into balls and either:

Fry in oil

Bake at 400f for about 25 minutes on a sprayed baking sheet – turn them after 12 minutes

Done!

Add sauce and pasta for a delicious meal!

Wine pairings:

Red – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Chianti, or Sangiovese