I haven’t posted a “Meatless Monday” post in a while. I will try to do these once a month from now on. We, as a family, love meat, but every now and then, we need to take a break and also find creative way to get our children to eat veggies!
I came across this recipe for vegetarian meatballs and found it intriguing. I put my own spin on it, but adding a store-bought Thai Peanut Sauce and it turned out SOOO GOOOD!! My kids had NO idea this was meatless and NO idea they were actually eating vegetables. When you mix up the mixture, it looks VERY similar to a ground turkey.
They are also great for freezing which is always a plus for feeding a family. Double the recipe and put up some in the freezer for down the road. You can also mix them with any sauce or spice you want that fits your family’s taste.
See below for step x step instructions (with pictures) and scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe!
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Recipe:
STEP 1: Boil cauliflower for about 5 minutes and drain.
Greenpan Saucepan / Pot Holder (similar)
STEP 2: Pour the quinoa/brown rice mixture and blanched cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse until smooth. This will resemble mashed ground meat.
Food Processor
*note: I used the Seed of Change pre-cooked quinoa / rice which had some seasoning already in it. If you cook quinoa or rice on your own, add a little minced garlic or seasoning of your choice for extra flavor.
STEP 3: Pour this mixture into a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs (you could use almond or oat flour if you want it to be glutenfree), eggs, smoked paprika and salt and mix until everything is combined.
Glass Bowl
*note: you can use whatever spice you want – cumin, garlic powder, ginger, chili powder, etc. I wanted to add a smoky flavor and add some color so I used smoked paprika.
STEP 4: Roll into small(ish) balls.
Pyrex
STEP 5: When ready to cook, cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and heat to medium heat. Make sure you cover every part of the pan as I had a little bit of issue with sticking on some bare spots.
STEP 6: Add the “meat”balls and cook for a couple of minutes on each side or until nicely browned and heated through.
Cast Iron Pan / Pot Holder (similar)
STEP 7: Add a Thai Peanut Sauce to the pan and heat for a few minutes. (I got mine from Brandless and it was delicious)
STEP 8: Serve over rice and sprinkle with cilantro.
Tea Towel / White Bowl
Products I used:
Use THIS code to get $6 off your first order of $48 at Brandless
Check out these other “meatless” recipes:
Chickpea Curry
Honey Garlic Cauliflower
Printable Recipe:
Thai "Meat"balls
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 bags Pre-Cooked Garlic Brown Rice and Quinoa or 3 cups cooked quinoa and/or brown rice
- 3/4 cups breadcrumbs seasoned
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or spice of your choice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- olive oil
- basmati rice cooked
- fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
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Boil cauliflower for about 5 minutes and drain well.
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Pour the quinoa/brown rice mixture and blanched cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
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Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, eggs, smoked paprika and salt and mix until everything is combined.
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Roll into balls.
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Cover a large pan with olive oil and heat to medium.
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Add the "meat"balls and cook for a couple of minutes on each side or until nicely browned and heat through.
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Add peanut sauce to the pan and heat for a few minutes.
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Serve over basmati rice and sprinkle with cilantro.