Veggie Sneak In Meatballs Food

VEGETARIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium pot, add the lentils and 2 quarts water. Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the lentils until soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes.
• Pour the cooked lentils through a colander and let cool. In a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat, saute the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme and salt with the 1/4 cup olive oil until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
• When the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stir in the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens, about 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until completely cooked and browned on edges, about 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from frying pan and set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled vegetables with lentils and all remaining ingredients, save for the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the pesto. Mix until well combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large 9-by-12-inch baking dish, making sure to coat evenly. Roll the lentil mixture into round, golf-ball-size meatballs, making sure to pack the balls firmly. Place lentil balls into the oiled baking dish, making sure none of the meatballs touch one another.
• Roast the lentil balls until firm and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Allow the meatballs to cool for five minutes before removing them from the tray. Serve with pesto.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the walnuts out on a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and roast until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Set the nuts aside to cool.
• Fill a large stockpot three-quarters of the way full with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Next, fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Drop the spinach and basil into boiling water and give the leaves a stir. After 1 minute, remove the greens and plunge them into ice water. Discard the boiling water.
• Once cool, remove the greens from the ice bath and squeeze them dry. Give them a rough chop and transfer to a food processor.
• Add the salt, olive oil and Parmesan to the food processor and blend until a uniform, pesto-like consistency is reached.

VEGGIE SNEAK IN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, then stir in the carrot, zucchini, onion, salt, basil, and oregano. Add the turkey and Parmesan cheese; mix until evenly blended. Form the turkey mixture into 16 meatballs, roll in bread crumbs, and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the turkey is no longer pink on the inside, and the meatballs are golden brown, about 1 hour.

EAT-YOUR-VEGGIES ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with cooking spray.
• Cook the frozen collards in a large bowl in the microwave according to package instructions. Let cool slightly.
• Add the beef, black beans, Italian seasoning, garlic, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the collard greens. Mix with your hands until just combined. Mix with your hands until just combined. Scoop mounds of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, roll the mounds into balls and space them evenly apart on the baking sheet. Bake until completely cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Serve the meatballs with warm pasta and sauce.

ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, zucchini shreds, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into large meatballs, mine were about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and I made 16 meatballs. Place into a glass baking dish (I used a smaller 7x11-inch glass dish, what you see above. Then top each meatball with a little pasta sauce.
• Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on size and thickness of the meatballs.
• Cook the pasta as directed.
• Serve Zucchini Meatballs over pasta and sauce with a side of veggies. We had green beans!

VEGGIE SNEAK IN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, then stir in the carrot, zucchini, onion, salt, basil, and oregano. Add the turkey and Parmesan cheese; mix until evenly blended. Form the turkey mixture into 16 meatballs, roll in bread crumbs, and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the turkey is no longer pink on the inside, and the meatballs are golden brown, about 1 hour.

HEALTHY MEATBALLS (WITH HIDDEN VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with nonstick spray. Place the carrots, parsley, and onion into a food processor. Grind well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the remaining ingredients and grind to combine into a smooth mixture. Portion into 2-tablespoon size meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with warm marinara sauce and pasta (or ketchup and other simple sides!) as desired.