We had two beautiful eggplants in our fridge this week and we’ve been making varieties of eggplant parm around the clock lately [or so it feels]. We wanted to try something new this time= so, we came up with- Eggplant + Hemp Meatless Meatballs!! They are super, SUPER yummy. They also happen to be gluten free, paleo, + vegetarian aka all the plant based goodness! This is one of those recipes that even if you’re not an eggplant fan, you’ll love. It’s a great option for Meatless Mondays or really any day of the week! Pair it with pasta, spaghetti squash, salad, crumble it up and make a tortilla- the sky is the limit [as always].
We doubled the recipe + it lasted about a week.
ingredients
• 1 medium/large eggplant, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
• 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp fresh or dried basil
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded [can sub for vegan Parmesan]
• 1 egg white, beaten with a fork [can sub for flax egg. Find out how to make this vegan option here, The Incredible, Edible Flax Egg + Green Muffin Recipe]
recipe
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
3 Place the eggplant, onion, and garlic on the baking tray and toss with the oil and a bit of salt and pepper.
4 Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until you start to see some charred edges.
5 Remove from oven and now reduce the oven temp to 375°F.
6 Scrape the roasted veggies into a food processor. Pulse 10 times — you want there to still be some chunks in the mixture.
7 Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl and stir in the almond flour, basil, hemp, Parmesan and egg white. Combine well.
8 Roll into golf ball – size balls. (I found it easier to do this with wet hands).
9 Arrange the balls on the baking tray (use the same piece of parchment paper).
10 Bake for about 50 minutes, without turning the balls over. You will know they are done when they release from the parchment paper without sticking. Make sure you let the balls cool before you try to release them completely; this will help them release more easily without sticking.
11 Enjoy your balls with your favorite pasta, sauce, salad, sandwich..
Modified recipe from Kitchen of Youth.
Enjoy guys + Happy Friday Eve!
– The Neilan Family-
Doctor Meets Dietitian 