Flaxseed powers up Eggplant-Tofu Balls

(Flaxseed and nutritional yeast add a boost to these Eggplant-Tofu Balls)

Just about every culture has a recipe for meatballs, many of them handed down from generation to generation.
Today’s Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal features a spread on meatballs with recipes that include Kosher for Passover Meatballs and Miso-Ginger Meatballs with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce.

I believe every Italian has a favorite meatball recipe, and it’s usually Mamma’s. I know my mother’s meatballs were delicious, made with lots of love and stale bread soaked in milk. Meatballs are a frugal dish, making use of fillers to stretch out the meat.
As a vegetarian for decades, I had to find something that would replicate Mom’s meatballs, and tofu was the substitute of choice. Some people balk at the idea of using tofu as a base for something as sacred as a meatball, but believe me, my husband and I have perfected this recipe over the years.

I often change up the recipe a bit when I make it. Sauteed eggplant is a great base to mix in with the tofu, as are smashed chickpeas. I keep Mom’s tradition of using a hunk of stale bread, but usually just toast a slice of thick Italian bread and then crumble it up in the mix.
One way to get a good flavor base is the sauté of garlic and onion; once that has browned, I turn down the heat and add a teaspoon or so of homemade pesto.

For this recipe, I used nutritional yeast, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, which adds a nutritional boost to this tasty dish.
These tofu balls are so good, I think Mom would approve. Serve them with a Sunday slow-simmer sauce and your favorite pasta. They are also good without sauce and make a great sandwich or hoagie.

(Eggplant-Tofu Balls pair well with homemade lasagna topped with a chiffonade of opal basil)

Eggplant-Tofu Balls with Flaxseeds

1. 1 medium eggplant
2. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3. Olive oil
4. 1 medium onion, diced
5. 1 teaspoon pesto
6. 1/2 pound extra firm tofu
7. 1 slice thick Italian bread, toasted
8. 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
9. 1 eggplant
10. ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
11. Fresh herbs, such as parsley and basil
12. 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
13. 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
14. 1 tablespoon whole flaxseeds
15. Tamari
16. Salt, pepper, Grecian oregano, to taste

• Cut the eggplant into dice and sauté in about 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Let it brown nicely; then give it a couple of “mashes” with a potato masher or a fork. Set it aside while you do the following:
• Saute 3-4 cloves minced garlic in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Add the onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To the sauté, add about 1 teaspoon of homemade pesto.
• Add some fresh herbs: ¼ cup chopped parsley and several large leaves of fresh basil, chiffonade.
• Set the sauté aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, mix ½ pound of firm tofu you have squeezed well to remove excess water. Crumble it up. Mix in about 1 teaspoon of Tamari.
• Crumble the toasted bread into the tofu mixture (use good judgment here; you don’t want to add too much bread, just enough to soak up the flavors and make it a nice consistency). Roll up your sleeves and get your hands in the mix and squish it all together.

(A saute of garlic, onion, pesto and fresh herbs makes a base for the Eggplant-Tofu Balls)

• Now add the onion-garlic sauté. Scrape in all the oil from the pan.
• Add the sautéed eggplant, egg, nutritional yeast flakes, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, a pinch of dried, Grecian oregano and the breadcrumbs.
• Mix it together, and then walk away and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
• Shape the mixture into balls that are about 1½ inches in diameter.
• Place them in a lightly oil baking pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until nicely browned, about 25-30 minutes.