Eggplant "Meatballs"

 Today is Sunday.

Meatless January, anyone? I try to do a vegetarian night once a week or so. OK actually, I forget to take something out of the freezer at least once every five days, so poof- weekly vegetarian meal. With added bonus of annoying Steve. He inevitably looks at each veggie meal with a raised eyebrow and says, "You know what would be good with this? Some chunks of chicken." Well, today was his lucky day because we were having Sunday dinner at my parents' house, and my mom was making a meat-centric feast of penne with meatballs, Italian sausage AND lamb neck bones. And my mom almost never eats meat! All that work and she doesn't even taste a ball of meat! So I thought I would be a dear and make her a new dish I had been wanting to try: eggplant meatballs. Sounds good, right? Why not make a ball out of the world's best emoji?

My dad said, "What are these things? Brussels sprouts?" Sigh.

Reprinted with permission from Food Network Kitchen. 

Eggplant Meatballs

Makes: 16  I got 18 and felt superior to everyone. 

Active: 25 minutes

Total: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Cute way to store herbs; and you'll remember to use them.

 

 

Ingredients Does this count as 10 ingredients or less? Fewer.

1 small eggplant (about 12 ounces)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ cup cooked white beans, such as cannellini or navy (rinsed, if canned), smashed with a fork I know- more beans?! I found four cans of of these, purchased in a pandemic frenzy when we all feared Target would close and civilized life would end.

1 large clove garlic, very finely chopped or pressed

½ cup finely chopped basil leaves or flat-leaf parsley I have parsley, becoming a staple around here. 

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated   

Salt and pepper

1 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs I used regular breadcrumbs.

Olive mister or nonstick pan spray

2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought) 

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Prick an unpeeled eggplant four times with a fork and bake it for 40 - 50 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast it until it has completely collapsed and a paring knife slips easily into the center. Cool 20 minutes. Leave oven on. I roasted for 40 minutes and wish I left it in for the full 50, because mine wasn't "collapsed" as it says. It was, however, quite satisfying to stab that thing.

See how the skin just pulled away easily?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Discard the skin. Place the roasted eggplant in a bowl and stir in the eggs and beans. Add the garlic, basil or parsley, Parmesan, 3/4 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper and stir to combine, then mix in the breadcrumbs.

3) Lightly mist the foil with spray. Shape the eggplant mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball (about 2 T. per ball). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and lightly mist the top of the balls with spay. I say brush on more oil on the foil than "lightly" because they stuck a bit. Bake the eggplant balls until they are golden brown and firm, about 20 minutes. 

4) While the meatballs cook, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan. Remove the meatballs from the oven, sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan and serve with the marinara sauce, or bring them over to your mom's house and mix in with her gravy. Confuse your dad.

Look who's too old to be tricked into thinking cheese grating is fun, has to be guilted into doing it, and doesn't even wanna play Uno with us anymore! Waaaaaaaaahhhh! :( Oh, but I had a cooking point here: See that cheese rind? Save those! Yep. Throw them in the freezer and you're set for the next time you want to make minestrone, with your - wait for it - cannellini beans!

Abodanza! Which is Italian for "far too much food for 1:00 in the afternoon."