Vegetable Balls
Vegetable Balls are for all my vegetarian friends. I love vegetables and cook more and more with them. Vegetables are a major part of a Mediterranean diet. I want to have the feel of a meatball, but a healthier dish.
There are benefits to eating less meat: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/meatless-meals/art-20048193
Before Meat
Both sets of my grandparents grew up in very poor regions of Italy. They had to make the best of what the land offered. My nonna Marietta was my dad’s mom and she could make a bread ball immersed in sauce taste like the best meatball. Marietta was a strong woman with a heart of gold; she was a sock maker and you would find her working into the early morning making socks.
My favourite memories of Marietta are from when I visited Sicily in 1975. They still lived in the original house with a large fountain in the middle of an attic type kitchen. The smell of fresh tomatoes cooking always permeated the house. She worked all day, but in the evening she dressed up with her best jewellery, shoes and dress for her passeggiata. My nonno Francesco took her by the arm and it was as if every night was their first date.
Vegetable Balls is a version of my nonna Marietta’s recipe. Hers was bread- based whereas, I add vegetables. This is a great way to sneak in all the vegetables for your family. My grandson eats a variety of vegetable, but lately he is getting fussy; however, he eats anything in pasta sauce.
The vegetables for this dish ready.
Dry Ingredients.
I use a food processor to chop all the vegetables.
All the vegetables ready to meet the dry ingredients.
Add all the dry ingredients and the eggs.
Use and ice cream scoop to form balls.
Put the balls on a pan lined with parchment paper and brush with some canola oil.
Quick peek in the oven; I can’t wait.
They are out of the oven.
Vegetable Balls Plated.
Vegetable Balls
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini
- 2 medium potatoes
- 3 small carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp each of bread crumbs and parmesan mixed
- cooking spray
Instructions
-
Process the zucchini, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and basil in a food processor. Coarsely grind the vegetables until they resemble oatmeal.
Add the eggs, bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the grated vegetables.
Mix by hand like you would meatballs.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Brush parchment with canola oil.
Scoop out mixture with an ice cream scoop.
Mix the 1 tbsp each of bread crumbs and parmesan.
Sprinkle over vegetable balls.
Spray with a cooking spray before putting in oven.
Cook at 400 F for 30 minutes.
Broil on low for 3 minutes.
See recipe notes for plating.
Recipe Notes
These vegetable balls are nice hot or cold.
Serve hot over polenta or white beans cooked in tomato sauce.
Serve cold with your favourite dip. I like plain yogurt with a little lemon zest and basil.
I used a large ice cream scoop. If yours is smaller, adjust cooking time to 20 minutes.
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