Ingredients
CHICKPEA MEATBALLS
- 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp (7 g) flax seed meal + 2.5 Tbsp ( ml) water)
- 2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) olive oil, divided, plus more for sautéing
- 3 cloves garlic (~9 g), minced
- 1/3 cup (22 g) panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup loosely packed (36 g) chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dry, not in oil)
- 1/3 cup (26 g) vegan parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- pinch each sea salt and red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
optional
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped)
- 1 15-ounce (425 g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
FOR COATING
- 2 Tbsp (10 g) vegan parmesan cheese
- 3 Tbsp (12 g) panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare flax egg in your food processor or high speed blender.
- Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté until slightly browned, stirring often - about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then add to food processor or blender with flax egg.
- Next add panko bread crumbs, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan parmesan cheese, salt + red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and 1 Tbsp olive oil (15 ml). Pulse/blend until small bits remain, scraping down sides as needed.
- Next add rinsed/dried chickpeas (see notes for tempeh) and blend/pulse until a moldable “dough” is formed, scraping down sides as needed. You don’t want the chickpeas to turn into a paste, but you also don’t want any left whole.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added a bit more basil, salt, and panko bread crumbs.
- Scoop out rounded 1 Tbsp amounts of dough and gently form/roll into balls - about 15 total. Then roll in additional vegan parmesan cheese-panko bread crumb mixture to coat.
- Heat the same skillet you used earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add enough olive oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of the skillet (~2 Tbsp | 30 ml), then add meatballs in two batches, as to not crowd the pan. Add more oil as needed.
- Brown for about 5 minutes total, shaking the pan to roll them around to brown all sides. Turn down heat slightly if browning too quickly.
- Add sautéed meatballs to a bare baking sheet and transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- At this time, prep any pasta you want to serve with your meatballs, as well as your favorite marinara sauce (I love this sauce, warmed up in a saucepan).
- Once meatballs are golden brown and fairly firm to the touch, remove from oven. Let cool briefly before serving. They will firm up the longer they cool.
- To serve, top cooked pasta with marinara sauce and desired number of meatballs. Top with another sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil (optional).
- Leftover meatballs will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through, or in the microwave.
- To freeze, sauté meatballs as instructed, then transfer to a baking sheet and freeze until completely firm. Then transfer to a freezer safe bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven until completely warmed through.
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