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Monday, September 13, 2010

Girl Least Likely To Post a Recipe


Yup. Me.
I really am, or rather, really thought I was, very unlikely to post a recipe.  It is not that I don't like recipe posting... it is that I don't like cooking. 
I'm not that good at it.  I don't like how it completely destroys any resemblance to clean I had going on in the kitchen, I don't like the amount of dirty dishes it creates & I definitely don't like going to the grocery store, which I inevitably have to do either before, or after, cooking.
I can cook. I mean I have a few good healthy things I can make & my son loves.  And my husband has a couple things he can make that we love (notice I left out the healthy part there), and so we defiantly do okay in the meals department, but I am still least likely to post a recipe.... except... I am about to.
Bean Balls.
Everyone asks what they are & once I tell them, they want to try them/make them/invite themselves over for some. I figure if I post the recipe once, I can refer everyone here the next time I make them & the questions rise once again.
So what are they? I can tell you, they are not a meatball replacement for vegetarians, like many think.  They are a high protein, plenty of fibre, ball of deliciousness.  They are my son's favorite thing for dinner (and also his favorite thing to take cold the next day in his lunch).  I really can't think of an equivalent for a carnivore... unless it is a burger & the bun is included inside the patty.
Also they should probably be renamed Tofu Balls, since my mother decided to change my aunt's recipe and use tofu instead of the soaked soy beans... but since kids will never eat something called Tofu Balls, lets stick to Bean Balls.

Bean Balls
Basically it is 3 equal parts of

  • firm or extra firm tofu pureed in food processor (I have based this recipe on 1 package of tofu and it makes approx. 24 balls)
  • a veg mix of celery, carrot, onion & beet (usually more beet & carrot) finely chopped in the food processor (too finely chopped & they lack texture... but you can experiment)
  • bread crumbs. I like to use my own from spelt bread or kamut... but any kind is fine
Mix all 3 in a large bowl with wooden spoon.
Add LOTS of sage, thyme, and LOTS Worcestershire sauce, for flavouring(the last time I made these I didn't use nearly enough of the sauce, and well they were still nice & healthy, they lacked something).

Lastly, add approx. 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese &
2 eggs (for binding)

My mom says bake at 375 for 45minutes, but she has a kick ass convection oven... it is usually more like 45 minutes at 400 or 425, and I like to flip them part way.


This is by no means an exact recipe... I find cooking at 400 for 60 min gives me a crunchier ball which my guys like. They also like more cheese, but my mother likes less... If I am low on beets, I make up with carrots... so try out variations, they tend to still work out every time!
 
So if you make these - let me know! I want to know how yours turned out, if you experimented & what you thought!

*disclaimer - this recipe isn't even close to being mine, made by me at all, or even altered to be made better, by me*

3 comments:

  1. sounds yummy, although I would have to call them "meatballs" to get Alex to eat them :)

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  2. True Story: we kept the name Bean Balls so that my husband, Anthony would eat them! Back then he wouldn't touch anything with tofu!!
    You could make them as a side dish though... often our carnivore relatives will have 1 or 2 with their dinner of turkey, or whatnot.

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  3. My husband wants me to print a retraction to saying he doesn't cook anything healthy... so... uh... well this is as close as he is getting! LOL

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