Today is National Meatball Day and we are going to celebrate by incorporating it into Meatless Monday which is a weekly celebration of all foods healthy and Earth friendly.
We now know that we (you, me and the rest of us humans) are poisoning our planet's atmosphere by our uber consumption of fossil fuel produced products. And we also now know that our diets can be the biggest climate culprits of all as meat production has an immense contribution (pdf) to climate change, water and land depletion, deforestation etc. But we can all be a part of solution to these issues by simply having a low carbon diet which consists of primarily plant products.
Dr. Jason Box is a climatologist and former professor at The Ohio State University and is now conducting extensive climate research on Greenland melting which I wrote about in five separate diaries found here . He was featured in the must see recent documentary "Chasing Ice" and is presently working on the Dark Snow Project. In this video, he gives us his take on how vegans can have a positive impact on climate.
But now I have a dilemma. I want to celebrate National Meatball Day and continue being part of solution to climate change by having a Happy Meatless Meatball Monday. For that we need recipes. My family expects spaghetti and meatballs on a regular schedule so I've collected some recipes that I rotate which seem to keep everyone happy. The recipes I'm sharing today are perfect for vegetarians and vegans.
Cannellini Bean Vegetarian “Meatballs” with Tomato Sauce Recipe
Recipe credit: The Cooking Canuck
1 ½ cans (15 oz. each) Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 roasted red bell pepper (2 halves), roughly chopped
½ medium yellow onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 egg
½ cup dried breadcrumbs (see note)
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups marinara sauce (your fave)
Parmesan cheese for grating
Cooked spaghetti
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans and roasted red peppers. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.
Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until well combined.
Using a rounded 2 tablespoon portion of the bean mixture, form “meatballs” by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the “meatballs” on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and have developed a light golden brown coating, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, heat you favorite marinara sauce over medium heat until simmering. Add “meatballs” and stir to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve over spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
The amount of breadcrumbs required can change depending on the climate (dry vs. humid). If you find that the "meatballs" are not holding together firmly as you are shaping the first few, add more breadcrumbs, then reshape.
The Meatball Shop's Meatless Meatballs
Yes, there really is a Meatball Shop in NYC and today they are celebrating National Meatball Day and Meatless Monday with their own Veggie Meatballs!
Serves 6 (makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs)
2 cups lentils
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are so (but not falling apart), about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and allow to cool.
Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the lentils to the vegetable mixture.
Add the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, and walnuts to the cooled vegetable mixture and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refr igerator for 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-sized meatballs (about 1½ inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing ¼-inch of space between the balls and place in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid.
Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through.
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes on the baking dish before serving.
Gardein Meatball Sub
There are many days when I crave meatballs but no time to prepare them. I turn to my fave vegetarian meatballs from the Gardein brand. Amazingly these have an Italian grandmother taste although they are perfect rounds so don't look like the traditional lumpy homemade variety. These are vegan so they get a heavy rotation in my house.
You know what to do. Just follow package instructions and add to marinara if you like. I use this for quick Meatball Subs all the time.
buon appetito!