This is the second time I’ve tried a recipe using eggplant to make meatless “balls.”
I was buying the eggplants at TJ and they don’t have scales. Recipe said 2-3 eggplants, 2.5 lbs. They were small ones so I bought 4. Weighed when I got home … 2 came to about 2.5 lbs so I doubled the other ingredients + of course, included more than one little clove of garlic in each batch. I also added fresh basil leaves to the mixture in the Cuisinart.
I was afraid of warping my half sheet pans at 550 so baked them at 450. The next day I simmered them in thawed homemade tomato sauce … they are very fragile! They taste much better after being in the sauce. If you avoid meat, I think this is a good recipe to have. I boiled up some penne for it.
I made RR’s eggplant meatballs a couple years ago just to try it out (as a side dish) and posted a photo on WFD. The problem with her eggplant patties which I made into meatballs was that it was a splattery mess because they were shallow fried in oil. Way too moist. Baking is definitely the way to go with eggplant meatballs like your recipe. I also made a note that they were just ok. Probably because of all the trouble I went through for a side dish.
I baked them on parchment paper, tried to brown them … some bottoms were a little too brown but not really a problem. Like I said, I thought they were much better after simmering (briefly) in tomato sauce.
I read that vegetarians, in general, have better cholesterol numbers. Many days per week, I eat a vegetarian diet. We all usually, out of habit, just eat the way we were raised. When I make quiche and a salad, for instance, I really don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
I was in a hurry to get out of the house and take them to an ill friend in the hospital (she still has an appetite! but I’m so sad for her that my appetite is gone!) that I didn’t have time to do the fresh sprinkle of parm. She didn’t miss it!
I probably ate this 3-4 days in a row (cold, standing up at the kitchen counter!) froze some “balls in sauce” for a friend, dropped off the rest of balls and penne to another friend. I was very surprised when he called me last night to say he was eating the balls cold and loved them and that it was hard to believe they were made without meat. He wants the recipe!
I buy large jars of roasted aubergine puree from my local Turkish mini market. I’m thinking I might be able to strain and use that product to make these balls.
