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Gluten-free Soy-free Vegan Meatballs

Gluten-free Soy-free Vegan Meatballs

I also wanted to bulk up the meal with some meatballs, sans meat, of course. And even though there are a gazillion vegan meatball recipes out there, most of them are made with wheat gluten, bread crumbs, and some type of crumbled soy product. I wanted none of that! I was determined to come up with a recipe that was not only vegan, gluten-free, AND soy-free, but that was made with no processed foods AND which held together in tomato sauce AND was quick and easy to make.

This recipe requires a food processor, and the ingredient list is somewhat extensive, but the mixture comes together in no time at all... well, maybe 10 minutes. Then you just roll them into balls, place on an oiled and lined baking sheet, pop them in the oven, and they'll be ready to eat by the time you've assembled your rollatini!

Ingredients

Ingredients

Gluten-free Soy-Free Neatballs 1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted 1/4 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (I used Ian's Natural Foods) 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried basil 3 Tbl fresh parsley 1/2 cup minced onion 1 Tbl coconut aminos (this takes the place of tamari or soy sauce) 1 Tbl balsamic vinegar 3 cloves garlic 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, toast walnuts on medium heat until fragrant. Place walnuts in food processor and pulse until a fine crumb consistency is achieved. Place in large bowl and combine with breadcrumbs, flour, oregano, and basil. Place remaining ingredients in food processor and pulse together until everything is finely chopped and beginning to clump together as the mushrooms and onion release their liquid. Be careful not to over-process into a paste!

There should still be some texture to the onions and mushrooms. Combine these ingredients with the walnut mixture and stir together until everything is blended. If mixture is too wet, add a little more flour.

Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. This makes roughly 2 dozen, depending on the size. Place meatballs on a foil lined baking sheet coated with oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until browned underneath, then flip over and bake another 5-10 minutes.

When finished, these will be firm on the outside and tender on the inside. They can be placed in a simmering pot of marinara as they hold together well in sauce. Alternatively, meatballs can be frozen "as is" in a ziplock bag then popped into a microwave for quick heating later or dropped into tomato sauce. Even my meat-eating dad said these were yummy! My mom said you'd never know they were vegan.

Roasted Veggie Enchilada

Roasted Veggie Enchilada

You can’t tell by looking at them, but these enchiladas are chock full of veggies. Summer gardens will soon start offering up their bounty, and now you can be ready to make use of all the goodies with this dish. This recipe is very similar to that for my favorite chicken enchiladas but this version calls for filling them with zucchini, bell pepper, onion and black beans. You could easily make additions and substitutions as needed.

I find them every bit as filling and satisfying as those filled with chicken or beef. My only complaint is that the sauce was just a bit too thick for my liking, and next time I would add more water to fix that. I have noted a range of water in the recipe below so you can achieve whatever consistency you prefer. I’m always looking for more meatless meals to add to our repertoire and I’m very glad to have this one up my sleeve.

Veggie Enchiladas Yield: 12 enchiladas INGREDIENTS For the sauce: 1 tsp. canola oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. sugar 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce ½-¾ cup water Salt and pepper

Ingredients Part 2

Ingredients Part 2

For the filling: 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 tbsp. canola oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine 1 (8 oz.) zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1½ cups enchilada sauce (above), divided 1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese ½ cup minced fresh cilantro ¼ cup drained chopped canned green chiles Salt and pepper For assembly: 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Lime wedg

To make the enchilada sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (This makes more sauce than you will need for the enchiladas. The extra can be frozen for later use

Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Transfer half of the black beans to a bowl and mash with a fork until almost completely smooth. Set aside. Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until slightly softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook just until tender, 3-5 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mashed beans and remaining whole beans and cook until warm

Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl and stir in ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, the queso fresco, cilantro and green chiles. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To assemble, briefly microwave the tortillas until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Place 1/3 cup of the filling mixture down the center of a tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla and place in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over it

Enchelada
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