Walnut Tofu Meat Balls Food

ITALIAN TOFU MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place tofu onto a plate and place another plate on top. Set a 3- to 5-pound weight on top. Press tofu for 15 minutes to drain excess water. Break tofu into small pieces and squeeze again to remove as much water as possible.
• Place tofu in a large bowl. Add onion, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, basil, marjoram, rosemary, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, hot sauce, and garlic; mix well with your hands until thoroughly combined.
• Drizzle some olive oil on the lined baking sheet. Form tablespoonfuls of tofu mixture into balls and arrange in rows on the baking sheet. Drizzle remaining olive oil over meatballs.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes.

SPAGHETTI & TOFU " MEATBALLS "

Steps:

• Saute the onion, carrot, pepper, garlic and dried herbs in oil until tender, for about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add bread crumbs, walnuts, parsley, mustard, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
• Crumble the pressed tofu with your hands, and add it to the bowl, along with the sauteed vegetables.
• Mix well.
• Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on an oiled baking sheet.
• Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until crisp and brown on the outside.
• Add cooked "meat" balls to your favorite tomato sauce and serve over your favorite pasta.

TOFU WALNUT "MEATBALLS" (VEGAN)

Steps:

• Mix first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add seasonings and mix until combined.
• Drain tofu and crumble with hands into the meatball mixture, mix.
• Add soy sauce and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• With clean hands, roll about a tablespoon's worth of mixture into a ball. If it is too dry to stick together, up to 1/2 cup water can be added. (I don't ever have to add water.).
• Continue to roll mixture into balls, and place onto a greased baking sheet, an inch or two apart. I use a cookie dough scoop to get mine a uniform size.
• Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (depending on size), until nicely browned.
• Cool and transfer to container or bag for freezing, or serve hot as desired.
• (These work well as appetizers, or as part of a main dish with barbecue sauce, brown gravy, vegan stroganoff sauce, or Asian sauces.).

TOFU NUT BALLS

Steps:

• Place oats and pecans in a blender or food processor and process until finely ground.
• Remove to a large bowl.
• Add garlic, sage, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to bowl.
• Process tofu and water in blender (or processor) until smooth.
• Add to bowl with other ingredients and stir until mixture holds firmly together.
• Shape into 1.
• 5 inch balls.
• Heat a little bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and skillet fry balls until reaching the desired level of brownness on all sides.
• Adding more oil if needed.
• Remove to brown bags or newspaper covered paper towels.
• Place in a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done in the middle.
• I sometimes skip this step and just flatten the balls slightly, so they will cook well on top of the stove.
• Yields about 16 balls.
• Serve over pasta cooked just al dente with some nice tomato sauce or as an appetizer.

WALNUT MEATBALLS (VEGAN)

Steps:

• In food processor, purée the water and onion until smooth. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients, mixing well until mixture holds together.
• Coat hands with nonstick cooking spray.
• Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
• Remove from oven and place meatballs on a platter. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot with a variety of dipping sauces, such as Sweet and Sour, Marinara, or your favorite.

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.