Preparing vegetarian meatballs is one of the methods I adopted to get my kids to eat vegetables. As you know, it’s my daily battle. 😀💪
Well, I have to say, it’s not a revolutionary method also because I didn’t invent anything new… but it works!
And then, it’s a simple recipe to make, just the way I like it, so I couldn’t help but try it. Today I accompanied my vegetarian meatballs with a yogurt and mint sauce in which we dipped them, eating them with our hands.
My kids like this sauce, and they see this dipping method as a “fast food style,” eating with gusto. I really hope it can work with other children too! 😉
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If you want to try other sauces, what do you think of these?
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 37 meatballs
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis
- 2 potatoes (large)
- 1 eggplant (small)
- 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 5 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 100 g provolone (or other cheese of choice)
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (for breading)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (to add to the breading)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil (to moisten the breading)
- 1 jar plain natural yogurt
- 6 leaves mint (fresh)
- lemon juice (half a lemon)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- oregano (optional)
- Half clove garlic (optional)
Tools
- Chopper
- Pan
- Oven
- Baking Tray
Steps
First, prepare the yogurt and mint sauce simply like this:
Finely chop the mint leaves and the garlic (I have an oregano plant and added some leaves from a sprig, but it’s optional) and add them to the yogurt, mix with the lemon juice and oil, and refrigerate during the preparation of the meatballs.
Preparation of the vegetarian meatballs:
Peel the potatoes, wash the zucchinis and the eggplant.
Cut into chunks and chop everything with a mixer until all the vegetables are in small pieces. (Needless to say, other types of vegetables can also be used!).
Cook the vegetables in a non-stick pan with a little oil for 15-20 minutes, covered, then uncovered for the last few minutes to dry the excess moisture.
Turn off the heat, let cool slightly, and add the grated Parmesan cheese, chickpea flour, and breadcrumbs. In the absence of chickpea flour, or if not liked, you can use more breadcrumbs in the same quantity.
Mix and finally add the cheese grated coarsely with a large-hole grater or cut into cubes.
Form the meatballs. I made them quite small and got 37.
Mix toasted sesame seeds with breadcrumbs, roughly in a 1:4 ratio, i.e., 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds for every 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and roll the meatballs in it.
👉 For some guidance on how to toast sesame seeds, refer to what’s explained in the carrots with sesame and breadcrumbs recipe.
Place them on a slightly greased baking tray and drizzle some oil over the meatballs.
Bake at 400-425°F for about 15 minutes, or until golden. I turned them once, decide if with your oven this step is necessary or not.
👉 Optionally, for those who don’t want to turn on the oven, they can also be browned in a non-stick pan (like the ricotta and vegetable meatballs).
Serve the vegetarian meatballs accompanied by the yogurt mint sauce. You can pour it directly over the meatballs or serve it separately so everyone can dip the meatballs in the sauce as they wish.
For our taste, these vegetarian meatballs are excellent warm or at room temperature.For younger children, the sauce might be too acidic; in this case, you can replace the lemon juice with grated zest and eliminate the garlic, thus transforming the lemon sauce into a simple yogurt and herb sauce.
For older kids… well, you can try the route… of adding a little ketchup to the yogurt! (ahhh, what haven’t I done to make these blessed vegetables appealing!! 😅).
Salt-Free Tips
I remind you that I cook without added salt, and that I have always accustomed my children to the natural flavors of foods following a simple, logical reasoning: if in the first year of life you shouldn’t add salt to baby food, for me, it is illogical and harmful to start adding it suddenly after the first birthday. For everyone, children and adults, the salt naturally contained in food + what we consume through naturally salty foods, such as cheese and cured meats, which we inevitably eat, is more than enough for the daily requirement.
For more information, my article Cooking without salt, my journey and Recipes and strategies to reduce salt in cooking.
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate must adjust slowly and should not notice the gradual reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granule and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you do not want, or cannot, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes, salting to your habits.
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On my new WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest and in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you want… subscribe to my Newsletter.
On my new WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest and in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you want… subscribe to my Newsletter.
