Eggplant "Meat" Balls - The Veggie Table

Most mock meatballs are made mostly of tofu or tempeh, but this unique recipe uses eggplant and walnuts to great effect. And before you serve them with something like catsup, try one plain – you’ll be amazed at the depth of flavor.
Yield	4-6 servings
Time	1 hour
Tools	large frying pan wooden spoon large bowl food processor cookie sheet aluminum foil
Ingredients	3 T olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 medium eggplant, diced ½ c firm tofu OR 2 flax eggs 1½ c walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped 1 t salt pepper 2 c dry bread crumbs 1 c Parmesan and/or Pecorino cheese, grated OR ½ c nutritional yeast 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed zest of 1 lemon ¼ c fresh parsley or 1 T dried parsley 1 T dried oregano ½ c basil, chopped
Directions	Heat 2 T oil over medium heat and sauté onion about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add eggplant and a dash salt and sauté 8-10 minutes, until soft, adding more oil if needed to keep eggplant from drying out. Preheat oven to 375. Combine tofu or flax eggs, eggplant mixture, and walnuts. Place one cup of this mixture in food processor and purée, then return to bowl. Add remaining ingredients except the last T oil and mix well. Oil the cookie sheet and your palms. Take 2 heaping spoonfuls of the eggplant mixture and shape into a ball. Flatten slightly, if desired, and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture. Spray or lightly drizzle the "meat"balls with oil, then bake until golden brown and crusty, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes	You can also use this recipe to make delicious eggplant veggie burgers. This recipe for eggplant meatballs is from Totally Vegetarian, by Toni Fiore. Read my review: Totally Vegetarian Buy it: Amazon.com \| Amazon.co.uk
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