This is a yummy and healthy alternative to the traditional spaghetti and meatballs.
Put 2 slices of whole wheat toast, a pinch of salt, and a liberal
sprinkle of Italian herbs in the food processor. Blend until bread
crumbs are produced. (You could use packaged crumbs, but why, when this
is cheaper, healthier, and takes 15 seconds.) Pour crumbs into bowl.
Put
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained, (save the water) in the food
processor and blend until a crumbly texture is achieved. Combine with
bread crumbs, mix well.
Add 2 Ener-G egg replacers or 2 beaten eggs to the mix, mix well.
Place
entire contents back into the food processor, add water from chickpeas
a tbsp at a time while blending until a thick paste is formed. (Err on
the side of less water, if it becomes liquidy all hope is lost.)
Form the paste into meatball-sized balls.
In
a large saucepan, saute 1 onion and 1 garlic clove in olive oil until
soft. Add the remaining water from the chickpeas, a quarter cup
ketchup*, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, another generous sprinkle of
Italian herbs, and a tbsp of nutritional yeast**. Stir well, then drop
the balls in carefully. They should be about half covered, if there is
too little gravy add a bit more water.
Simmer on low heat for
about 25 min. Periodically gently turn the balls over with a spoon. They
are not going to become hard, but should somewhat congeal.
Serve over pasta or alone.
*This
is a recipe which as far as I know was invented by my father, who due
to having lived through WWII has certain poverty foods he is attached
to, such as pasta sauce made with ketchup and baked beans on toast.
Having grown up eating these dishes made by him, there is a comfort-food
factor in the flavor of a ketchup-based sauce for me. If you find the
idea of seasoning with ketchup unbearable this dish would probably also
be fine if the balls were cooked in tomato sauce.
** Nutritional
yeast, which is not used in my father's version, gives the sauce a
rich, cheesy flavor and is also chock-full of Vitamin B12.
Love the chickpea idea. I have never heard of Ener G egg replacers? I bet my homemade tomato sauce would be delish with the chickpea balls! Coming from a Sicilian background I can't fathom the idea of ketchup as a sauce (not gravy) ;o) Maureen
ReplyDeleteFab issued with chichpea. It sounds darn appetizing and tasty. Garlic and tomato sauce just can flavour chickpea balls. Thanks for nice sharing.
ReplyDelete