I’m not sure what the obsession is to create “meat” when you don’t eat meat… I do it because plain spaghetti is boring sometimes. Or you need something more, in this case beans and rice (rice noodles) make up a complete protein, so yes “meatballs” indeed. I usually use whatever beans I have on hand, soaking them overnight and sprouting them if I plan ahead 🙂 Here I just soaked them over night and finished them off in my rice cooker in the morning. Don’t have a rice cooker?? Seriously? What do you eat? These things are awesome. You can steam, “bake” and make rice of course in them. Mine is the famous Taiwan brand – Tatung.
So cooked beans to start with. For “meatballs”, I prefer to undercook my beans slightly. I like a bit of texture. Otherwise cook them until they are mush. Each method will achieve a different end result – crumbly or smooth. About the beans: I like the above kind… (I don’t know what kind that is) or soy beans, red beans or kidney beans. Chick peas tend to produce a different type of product, usually nuttier and dryer. Soy beans can be a bit bitter, so I often mix my soy beans with other beans I have on hand.
“Meatballs”
2 c. cooked beans
1 egg ( I haven’t made these egg free yet…)
1/4 c. parsley
1/2 c. Parmesan
2 garlic cloves
2-3 TB red wine
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
1. If your beans are a bit crunchy still, grind them in batches in your grinder thingy. If they are mushy, mash with a potato masher.
2. Grind up the egg and the garlic cloves together. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, then use your hands to mix well together.
3. Scoop out 2-3 TB and form into balls. In the picture above I used a mini muffin pan, and filled it up. That’s the whole recipe there, but these balls were a bit big for me. In the future I think I’ll make them smaller and cook up 2 batches.
4. Bake at 375 F on a greased pan or mini muffin tin for 20-30 minutes until dry.
5. Toss with your prepared spaghetti of choice.
Serves 4-6
Climbing Guava Trees 