Freezer Ready & Kid Friendly Nuggets and Meatballs

Hey Hey Hey!  So whether your vegan, omnivore, Sebi-an, pink, a wrench, plant based or a turtle, everyone likes a snack.  Well okay maybe not if your a color or a wrench buy most everyone else likes a little nibble or few.  Now I will advocate for snacking on fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds (I am currently sipping a berry-green smoothie) but sometimes a taste of hearty, savory, goodness dipped in sauce is what's up!  Lets get into it, first up Plant-balls.  Orrr just say meat balls, minus the damn meat.

Plant Based Balls Ingredients:

8 oz favorite mushroom

1 small onion/half medium onion

1 can chickpeas or little over 1 c cooked chickpeas

S&P

Italian Seasoning or favorite  no-salt spice blend

2- 3 oz aquafaba (blend until frothy)

1/4-1/2 c of bread crumbs and flour mix

grape seed oil 

1.  Roughly chop mushrooms and add to a skillet heated on medium.  The mushroom juices will release and start cooking off.

2.  While the mushroom liquids evaporate, dice the onion and add to skillet with mushrooms.  Season with a little S&P and cook until all liquid is reduced and veggies are soft.

3.  Process chickpeas until minced not mushed.  Season with S&P and about a 1/2 T of your spice of choice here. 

4.  Once the veggies are soft and liquid is gone.  Remove from heat to cool and then add to the minced chickpeas.

5.  Mix chickpeas, veggies and 1-2 T of aquafaba (Start with less, you can always add more) together then add in a couple tablespoons at a time of your bread crumb/flour mixture.  (My bread crumb/flour mixture is equal parts homemade bread bread crumbs and spelt flour seasoned with S&P, paprika, onion powder and oregano.  I use it for basic dredges or to bind meat substitutes.)  Keep adding and mixing until your ground plants stick together when squeezed and can be made into balls.

6. Form as many golf sized balls as you can (I got 16) and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.

7.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Heat a clean skillet on medium heat w/ a little grape seed oil and fry a few for 3-4 minutes on one side then rotate and fry for another 3-4 minutes.  Keep at it until they are lightly brown and crispy all over. 

8.  Remove from heat and onto a parchment lined baking tray.  Bake for 10-15 minutes to finish off.  If adding sauce, place meatballs in a casserole dish and lather then cover with foil. Give an addition 5 minutes with foil off at the end.

9.  To freeze for later, skip the sauce and after meatballs come out the oven and are cool, stick in the freezer on that same parchment lined tray, making sure they don't touch.  Just long enough to freeze and then toss in a freezer safe bag. (I always double bag)  

10.  To reheat frozen balls follow step 7 EXCEPT preheat to 350 F.  An additional 5-10 mins may be needed.

Now coming to the stage.....Nuggets and Patties...also perfect for the freezer.  Ya know, when we were eating meat and the like nuggets and patties were never regular snacks in my freezer.  Now that we munch on plants and make most foods from scratch I appreciate being able to pull out some patties for a quick dinner or nuggets for a easy lunch.  It's all in the prep baby!

ChickP Nuggets and Patties Ingredients:

8 oz king oyster mushrooms (roasted and shredded)

1 can chickpeas

S&P

 1/2 t fennel seeds and 1/2 t dried rosemary (ground into powder using a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder or carefully with a knife)

1 t onion and ginger powder

1/2 t  mustard and sage powder

1 1/2 oz sea moss gel

1/4 c bread crumbs/flour mix

grape seed oil (optional)

1.  Give shredded shrooms a rough chop and process chickpeas until broken up but not mashed.

2. In large bowl combine chickpeas, mushrooms, and spices and mix well.

3.  Add a T of sea moss gel at a time along with most of the bread crumb/flour mix and fold in.  Keep adding gel and dry mix until everything comes together and can be shaped.

4. Form mix into patties and nuggets or whatever shape wets your whistle.

         5. If baking, preheat oven to 350 and place pieces onto parchment lined tray.  Bake on one side for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10.

6.  If frying, heat about 1 T of oil in a skilled on medium and fry for 4-5 minutes on one side then flip and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Aim for golden and crispy.

***Quick sweet and tangy sauce for nuggets:  Blend a small orange or peach (peeled, segmented), ginger, onion, a little jalapeno and agave with a splash of spring water.  Push through a strainer into your pot, season with S&P to taste and reduce just a bit. Coat nuggets/pieces in sauce or serve on side.