Monday, February 13, 2012

A brief history of me and eggplant balls(gf)


Years ago, when I was vegan, I came across a recipe that said you could make plausible veg sausage from eggplants. I was dubious at the time but being a new vegan and generally excitable about cooking I went through 3 or 4 pretty vile attempts until the machinist cried mercy for both budgetary and gastronomic reasons. We did not have a food processor that worked well. Now in the years since I have learned a good deal more about cooking including how to play nice with eggplant and when you really need a food processor.  I hadn't really thought about this for years. Shortly after this I fell in love with gimme lean.

Cue last year. I find out I'm not supposed to eat wheat...the primary ingredient in most veg sausage...including gimme lean. I now eat dairy.

  So  about a month ago we're visiting a big chain grocery store for the sole reason that it was open  later in the evening and they always have a cheaper price on almond milk and I excited to discover a no added gluten vegetarian sausagey product (that is one that is made in a factory where wheat,rye barley,etc might come into minimal contact with it so somebody like me with a moderate wheat allergy can still deal with it occasionally). Given that literally every other veg sausage product is crawling with not only a metric ton of gluten (in the form of seitan, or some times wheat based tvp)added salt, weird colors, and a general air of unwholesomeness. The label had a short list of actual food ingredients that I'm not allergic to. I was psyched. Then I found out the the meatballs float  and work in soups without having to be rushed to table (bean sausages really really do not) and really delicious. For the record I used to prefer veg sausage to meat ones and when I was a kid ate still ate meat that didn't live in water so keep this in mind. For ease of convenience the product is made by Dominex from mostly Eggplants. http://www.dominexeggplant.com/products-meatballs.html 
 It's a little eggplanty ,which I happen to like as well. The one catch is that one  Dominex Vegetarian Eggplant Meatballs (under 1 lb) is 6$. Again 6 whole dollars for less than 1 lb of admittedly really quality convenience food. Thus my search for a eggplant ball recipe that satisfies was renewed. Again I struggled ,but this time being familiar with the fiddlyness of bean flours, I was triumphant. Lo, this baby recipes can be altered with an endless permutation of funky sausage flavours including swedish style, irish style BBQ, and my favorite ginger soy with cilantro....mmm.
Eventually I will post all the varieties I now have but for now, we begin with:

Eggplant Meatballs with Italian Herbs
This recipe is big as making 2 lbs of sausage is roughly the same pain in the neck that making 1 lb is.  You will need a food processor to do this. Really. I promise. It’s ok because it freezes and pre making patties for occasions is super easy. Store these in wax paper for up to 3 months.
Chop
1 lg or two small eggplants
1 lg onion
 into a roasting dish with 3 tb olive oil.

Toss to coat and leave at 350 for 25-40 miutes until eggplant is mushy. This will depend on the size of your dice
While the eggplant is cooling  
Add 1 tb fennel
2 tb red pepper flakes
1 tb soy sauce
Some stale parmesan or romano  if you have it cut into small pieces
1tsp fresh parsley or ½ tsp dry
2 TB fresh basil or 1 tb dry
½ head peeled garlic
½ tsp dried sage
1 tb cider vinegar
5 grinds black pepper
And
1 sprig rosemary is you have it

Mix in the food processor and grind. now grind your eggplant up in the food processor until lightly lumpy (about the same texture and homemade baba ghanoush). Mix together. If you aren’t avoiding egg and want these to be able to hold together well enough to put in soup add an egg. Now, knead in 1 cup soyflour, garbanzo flour or falafel mix (in  which case halve the peppers and remove the parseley) or fine bread crumbs if they don't make you sick. The  falafel tastes the best and the soyflour has the ‘meatiest” texture..you pick. Now add ½ cup chopped walnuts. This is important for texture. If the mixture doesn’t  resemble a firm cookie dough with lumps add more flour or more liquid to adjust.
Oil your  hands and Squish into tube shapes for later use and freeze or make into patties/ link shapes which should be precooked before being frozen. Store in airtight containers.

To precook:
Preheat oven to 425 F
Line a cookie sheet with parchment and rub or spray with olive oil.
Place as many links/ patties on tray as desired.
Bake for 30 minutes turning halfway through. If you cook too long they will dehydrate and eventually burn (it takes a awhile). If they dehydrate but do not burn they work well in stews.
Continue baking until all dough is used up.

Please use gf ingredients if you want gf food.
Please feel free to play around with this and share your tasty variations.

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