Mango Mania

It's been a week since I've blogged and although it has been nice, I've kind of missed it. This past week I went out to eat for the first time in over a month. What did I have? A nice big veggie burrito from Panchero's! It tasted so good...and even better since I didn't have to make it! It's nice that I don't feel that I must stick to my rules, but I often feel like I'm cheating or being "bad" if I'm not following my old rules. I guess it's good in the sense of it keeping me on track.

Although I'm not Catholic...tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and Wednesday is the beginning of lent. I had considered giving up something...that something being wine. I'm not sure that is really going to work out so well. So instead, I'm thinking of just participating in Fat Tuesday. That's OK, right?

I've had this jar of mango nectar sitting in my cabinet for about 2 years. A long, long time ago, my friend Linnette and I went to Whole Foods and I found this jar of nectar. It was almost summer and my plan was to make mango margaritas. Well, that never happened. I keep looking at it from time to time and tell myself: you really need to use this soon. Well...here's what we did:

Champagne + mango nectar=Mango Mimosa Awesomeness. You really should give this a go sometime. It's slightly sweet and is a nice change to the OJ.

I had been telling Brian that I wanted to try making ice cream sometime. I had an extra can of coconut milk and wondered how it would be in some homemade ice cream. So...with the mango nectar already open...some inspiration from Aarti Party on The Food Network that morning...here's what we did:

1 can coconut milk
1.5C mango nectar
1/2C almond milk
2T sugar
1/2t vanilla extract
1/2t cardamom
1/4t cloves

Mix all together and place in freezer. Stir every 30 minutes until desired consistency. If you have an actual ice cream maker...that will make it even better!
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This turned out icy, but really flavorful. I'm really wishing that I had a ice cream maker because I'm pretty sure it would be awesome! There are so many different things going on in this. You get a slight taste of coconut, not enough of the mango but a real warmth from the spices. Next time, I would definitely add some fresh mango cubes to this!

I'm considering sending this to Aarti Party...just letting her know that she inspired me to make this. I'm secretly hoping that she in turns reads this blog and makes me the next Food Network Star! Let's face it...that Sandra Lee...well, I'm not sure how she got her own show. I'll leave it at that.

Now for dinner. Brian got me a new cookbook for Christmas: Moosewood Restaurant, Low-Fat Favorites. Click here to see their website! This cookbook is so good. It's primarily vegetarian with a little seafood section thrown in there. I would highly, highly recommend this cookbook. We decided on Tamale Pie:

This recipe will definitely become a staple. It takes a lot of chopping, but otherwise is really easy. The flavors are incredible and is nice and low-fat, yet filling. We omitted the cheese and egg whites (cheese was optional and use a replacement for the egg whites) which helped bring the fat/calories down as well. It is topped with cilantro and scallions...two of my favorites! So, so good! It's also nice because I see it being very versatile. Next time I might add some seitan, more or different kinds of beans and a touch more heat.

So, that's about it. The famous Scranton St. Patrick's Day Parade is this weekend...the weather looks to be dry, which is always a good thing. I'm having some folks over for a little pre-parade party. It should be a good time!

Happy Monday...and until next time.

28 Days Later...

Well, I can officially say that it's over! I can't believe a month has passed...but secretly, I'm really happy. It often feels like a lot of pressure to always make something, write down what I'm putting in and then blog about it. Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed myself. However, I'm going to enjoy being able to look at a recipe again! I'm excited to go back and compare the recipes I made to what they typically are. The good thing: it totally got me out of my eating rut!

I bought groceries yesterday for the whole week, so tonight was no different than any other night this past month. I cooked...did a lot of dishes...and did some calculations. Tonight I made a loft of bread, another batch of the tofu dill salad and a little thing I like to call "Summer Salad". I was kind of wanting it to be summer...the warmth of the sun combined with the great produce at the farmers market...made me think of this salad. It's so versatile depending on what veggies you like. Mix up a little vinegrette and you are golden. Here's what I used:

Seedless cucumber
Green squash
Red onion
Carrots
Broccoli

For the dressing:
1/2C olive oil
1/2C champagne vinegar
1/2t black pepper
1t salt
1/2t chili oil
1/4C fresh chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients together and pour over sliced veggies. Let sit overnight and enjoy!
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I need to go give it another stir in a few minutes, but from what I tasted, I liked what it was selling. This combined with the super tasty tofu/dill salad on some homemade bread...perfect lunch for a nice summer day! Hopefully it will be here before we know it!

I took some time to sit down and crunch the numbers. I compared my grocery cost in February to the cost of grocery and eating out in January. I was also curious about the months prior (November-January) because I wanted to see a wider range of numbers. I'll give you the overall details, but let me just say...I am ASHAMED of what I spent in November. I willingly admit that I had a lot going on in November (Thanksgiving, a few special things and visitors)...but whoa. That was an eyeopener! OK...so here's the good stuff.

January Eating Out/Grocery cost: $402.16 ($12.97/day)
February Grocery cost: $261.33 ($9.33/day)
Total Savings: $140.83

And just for the heck of it, if I averaged the cost of eating out and groceries from November-January, my per day cost was: $14.75! Now you understand why I am ashamed to even admit that.

In thinking back over the month, I think one of the biggest things I have realized is that I wasted SO much food before. Because I was eating out in addition to buying all my normal groceries, I ended up just throwing food out. I can literally count on one hand (and recall) all the items that I threw out in February. This is a good thing to change and it makes me feel good knowing that I'm putting my money to better use.

For me personally, this was a huge success. Not only do I feel so much better (going to weigh myself in the morning...but my guess is that I lost 6lbs...and I didn't work out at all), but I am thinking about food differently again...and getting back the passion I have for cooking. I love being in the kitchen and creating something that is all your own...just seems that sometimes we need a little kick in the butt to get back on track.

Thank you so much to those that followed me though this. Your encouraging words really mean so much to me...and helped me get through some tough days.

Not sure what direction this blog is going to take...but stay tuned. I'll think of some way to keep this rodeo going! :)

The home stretch

Well, folks...tomorrow is the big day. It's the official "end" to my month long experiment. I'm not sure that it is totally going to end as I plan on keeping a few of my "rules" in tact. I'll share more later this week. It seems a bit odd that it is already over...but on the other hand, I'm really excited. It feels nice being able to say that I have kept to my rules...even though I really wanted to break them from time to time.

I would like to share for one moment my love for Aarti Sequeira, host of The Food Network's, Aarti Party. She is just so pleasant to watch. I really enjoy that she is bringing an awareness to Indian food. I for one am going to look up a few of her recipes come March 1.

I took it easy tonight. I didn't want to be too overloaded with work because I would really like to watch the Oscars. So, I made pizza and an apple crisp. Since tomorrow is my last day I decided to go out with a bang. I'll be having left over pizza for dinner, but will be making another batch of tofu/dill salad, a loaf of bread and a tasty summer vegetable salad. I'll also be sharing my results. So, stayed tuned!

I'm going to keep making my banana bread for breakfasts. I do love cereal...a lot. But having a little slice of this bread really makes me happy. I bought some "red bananas" today at the grocery store. I had two reasons: 1)I've seen them a few times and wanted to try them and 2)The regular bananas were not ripe enough to make the bread. They say they are sweet with a hint of raspberry. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I had a few Empire apples that were on the verge of going bad. So I decided to use them up. I thought about making muffins, but ultimately ended up making an apple crisp! Here's what I did:

4 apples, peeled and sliced
1T butter
1/4C brown sugar
1t vanilla

For the crumb:
2/3C oats
1T butter
1t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter with brown sugar and vanilla. When sugar is dissolved, add sliced apples until they begin to soften. Mix all ingredients for the crumb together and put on top of apples. Bake for 20 minutes in cast iron skillet until apples are tender and topping is crunchy.
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It was pretty tasty and definitely a great little desert for my crazy sweet tooth. If I make it again, I'll probably only add maybe 2T of brown sugar. It is slightly too sweet...or maybe I could just use a different kind of apple? Probably.

I did things a bit differently tonight with the pizza. Not too much...but some slight alterations. I threw in 1 small shallot and didn't add in any water. In addition, I used chopped tomatoes and only 6oz of tomato paste. The shallot added a really nice flavor and taking out the water allowed me not to cook it as long.

Pizza Sauce

2T olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced

1 small shallot

4 cloves garlic, minced

14.5oz chopped tomatoes

6oz tomato paste

1t salt

1t black pepper

1 1/2t oregano

1 1/2t basil

1t red pepper flakes

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent then add garlic. Add all other ingredients and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let sit until ready to use.

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I made a few changes to the crust as well. I replaced the oats with corn meal and added 1 extra teaspoon of olive oil.

1 package yeast
1T sugar
1C warm water
1C white flour
1C whole wheat flour
1/2C corn meal
1/2t salt
2t olive oil

Combine yeast, sugar and warm water and let set aside. Combine all other ingredients, then add wet to dry ingredients. Mix and pour out onto floured surface. Knead for 7-8 minutes or until it is smooth. Place in oiled bowl with moist towel on top. Put in warm area and let rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place dough in baking dish (I prefer to use a large cast iron skillet brushed with olive oil) and add your toppings. Bake 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

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Tonight I used sauted onions, red bell peppers, baby bella mushrooms, artichoke hearts and olives. I really like the addition of the corn meal as it gives it a great little texture!

That's all I have for tonight. I hope everyone had a great weekend! See you soon.

Cravings

This week I have been craving two things: wings and curry. I know, wings aren't really allowed at this point and time...but there is just something about them that I love. Maybe it's the sauce, maybe it's the crunchy exterior? All of that to say...I've been on a "wing" kick lately. Sunday/Monday I had been baking my tofu and smothering it with wing sauce (by the way...I picked up my grocery store's brand of wing sauce because I usually trust their judgement...not this time. The bottle of wing sauce had over 1000mg of sodium per tbsp!!!!! Just uncalled for. So, I found a really good one...no fat, no calories and only 190mg of sodium per tsp. Much better.). Tuesday I was sitting at my desk eating my tofu and was really wanting to make something "wingy". So, off to the nearest grocery store to my house after work. I thought it might be a stretch to find TVP, but you never know. In fact, they didn't carry it so I opted for a small bag of bulgur wheat. I went home, threw some stuff together and ended up with a nice (and primarily healthy) dinner:

I had leftover potatoes from Sunday night as well as some roasted brussel sprouts. The reason that I said "primarily healthy" is because my "wings" were kind of fried.

I decided I really wanted a crunchy exterior, so I pan fried them in a small layer of canola oil. I know, not the best, but in my defense I only fried them until they had some color and then finished them off in the oven. It definitely solved my craving, which is good. The recipe made 10:

1 1/2lbs tofu (pressed and crumbled)
1C cooked bulgur wheat
1T peanut butter
1T worchestershire sauce
1T wing sauce
1t salt

Combine all ingredients (cook bulgur wheat as instructed on package) and mash together with your hands until completely incorporated. Roll into balls or desired shape. Pan fry quickly in canola oil and finish off in a 425 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Dredge in sauce and enjoy!
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I've been chowing on those leftovers for a few days now. Tonight was time to mix it up, which brings me to my love of all things curry. :)

I wanted a one-pot kind of dish tonight. After a month of making nearly every meal...and doing those dishes every single night (by hand...no dishwasher here. Or as my Mom and Dad would always say: "We have three good dishwashers sitting right here at the table." That seemed to never get old to them, but I think it sure aggravated us kids.) I have learned to simply my usage of things. Sorry for all the side notes tonight...but here's another one. In addition to the dishwasher, I am also without a microwave. You see, I have been microwave-less since 2006. It all started because I didn't have the space on my countertop in my house (in AR)...so I just forced myself to live without. It is difficult at times, but I quite enjoy not having all those horrible "waves" destroying my brain. OK...maybe not that so much as I have just learned to be without. Another note about my house in AR: it finally rented!!! It's been sitting empty since October, so I am elated that it is finally going to have tenants.

Alright. Curry. I decided to make a Curried Jambalaya. Here's the stuff:

2T canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3T curry powder
1/2t cayenne pepper
2t salt
1t cumin
2t garam marsala (traditional spices used in Indian cuisine, super good if you can find it)
1t crushed red pepper
3.5C water
1 can coconut milk
2C long grain white rice
1 small head of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 small eggplant, skin removed and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
8oz can water chestnuts

In a large saucepan, heat canola oil then saute onions until soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Add all spices and saute for 1 more minute. Add water, coconut milk, rice and broccoli. Stir together and cook over medium heat until rice begins to absorb some of the liquid (this is a good time to taste the liquid and add more salt/curry/heat according to your preference). Once it begins to thicken, add the eggplant, red bell pepper and water chestnuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice and the rice is tender. This should take approximately 25-30 minutes. Once it is finished, let sit for 5 minutes with lid on. Serve and enjoy!
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The curried jambalaya is a great and quick meal. From start to finish, it only took me 45 minutes! I was planning on making something special with the leftovers...but I'm not sure there will be any. This will definitely last me through the weekend! There is just enough spice in there for me and the coconut milk adds such a richness that is just great. Hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

That's about all for tonight, I suppose. Only a few more days to go. I'm getting excited to see the results. I'll be sure to share everything, good or bad.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Day Off!

Hello there. No work today...and I have been loving every minute of it! I have been staying busy though: cooking, cleaning, shoveling snow, etc. It's been a good day.

I made a quick batch of french toast Sunday morning using up the rest of my bread that I made Thursday night. I only had a small amount of bread, so I mixed 1/4C almond milk, a splash of cinnamon and nutmeg. That was it...

I went to a friend's baptism on Sunday. Well, not their baptism, but for their little girl:

We all had a really good time (especially Addison, since she slept the whole time). There was SO much food at reception and it was really tempting to just grab a piece of bread...or a pretzel. I was pretty hungry, even though I ate a healthy amount before going to the church. I made it though the food just fine...but when they brought this out, I really struggled:

 Two kinds of cakes...cookies...I just wanted a little piece of the icing. But I was good and waited to have anything until I got home.

I got a smoker for Christmas from my friend Allison. It's a great little thing...just sits right on the stove top and cooks away. It's really great.

We used to once to smoke some tilapia...and it was so good. I have been wanting to use it and decided to try smoked tofu. I bought some wing sauce at the store...and did half wing sauce, half BBQ.

Let me save you the time and trouble. Do not do this. I'm not really sure what happened in there while it did it's "smoking"...but the combination of the sauces and the tofu and the cherry wood...epic failure! In fact, I threw it away with only having one small bite of each kind. I think from now, I'll keep to seafood and maybe veggies in there.

Since I had the day off, I decided I should test out some other options for cooking the tofu. Baked tofu is really my favorite because it gets a really nice "crust" on the outside, but stays super soft on the inside. So, I cut four small pieces and set the oven to 425. Two pieces I marinated the two sauces (seperatly) and the other two I left plain (with olive oil to avoid sticking). I baked both for 15 minutes on each side. The two that were plain, I tossed in the sauces after cooking (on right).

They were both really good, but I would go for the baked plain and then tossed in the sauce. Very tasty!

With my dinner last night, I had roasted brussel sprouts. Toss sprouts in olive oil, salt pepper and throw into 425 oven for 20 minutes. Pull out and toss after 10 minutes and add two cloves of chopped garlic. Return to oven for 10 minutes. I could eat these all day long!

I also made my own version of potatoes au grain. For the sauce:
1 head of cauliflower
2T olive oil
1t salt
2t black pepper
1/4C nutritional yeast
juice of 1 lemon
3C water

Preheat oven to 425. Cut cauliflower into small pieces and lay onto cookie sheet. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 30 minutes until nice and tender, tossing occasionally. After roasting is done, let cool for a few minutes and transfer to a blender. Add the water, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
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For the potatoes:
8 red potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
6 cloves of garlic

Slice potatoes and chop onion/garlic. Place all into baking dish. Pour sauce on top and bake at 425 for 45 covered. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
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This afternoon I made another loaf of banana bread for my breakfasts this week. I'm currently pressing some tofu for dinner and lunches to come. Then, I'm going to chill out for a bit. But before I go, I must share one more thing with you. My sister, Heather, gave me some ideas that I decided to make into a recipe to put on here. I have really been crazing sweets lately, and let me tell you...this did the trick!

Nut balls
3/4C walnuts
3/4C almonds
3/4C pecans
9oz prunes
1/2C Craisins
2T cocoa powder

In a food processor, add nuts (whatever combo you want), prunes and cocoa powder. Blend until it all comes together into a nice big ball. Remove and add in Craisins. Roll into balls or spread out into pan and cut into squares...whatever you prefer. Refrigerate after you have finished.
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These are seriously good (and raw, Stephanie!). A little sweet...a little nutty. You must give these a try. Thanks Heather!

I am officially on my last week of this experiment. Although I feel like I have been incredibly busy this month, it clearly gave me something to do. And I think it has been great to make me more aware of a few things:
1. I spend a lot of money just eating out
2. Cooking at home and making things from scratch is so rewarding
3. I wasted a lot of food before starting this
4. I feel so much better

I'm really happy that I've done this...and even more...stuck to it! I firmly believe that this will change the way I think about eating out in the future. Limiting my eating out will be a good thing...for body and bank account!

Aroma's that I love...

Who doesn't love the smell of bread baking? Right now, I'm enjoying it with every breath...and loving every minute of it. I'm doing a little pre-work for the weekend. You see, Brian and I are going to Philly on Saturday. This was decided before I started this little project...so I just have to make due. So, I'm going to pack a little picnic to take with us. Tomorrow night I'm attending a happy hour for a co-worker who is leaving...which leads me to why I am doing this tonight.

I'm still munching away on my veggie meatballs. I think they firmed up a bit after sitting overnight, which was kind of a nice surprise. It's also nice to see how the flavors "settle" after sitting for a few days. But they are still tasting good! I also had a bite of one cold...OH MAN...it was good. So, next time I think I'll make it into a meatloaf so I can slice it into sandwiches.

Tuesday evening I had an unplanned dinner guest. My friend Katie decided to come over for dinner and catch up. Not wanting to server leftovers, we opted for a quick pizza and wine. I had to grab a quick pic of the pizza before we dug in:

For Saturday's "picnic", I've decided to make  tofu/dill salad sandwiches. I originally made this quite a long time ago from a cookbook called Vegan With A Vengeance. I'm really not sure what all was in there, so I'm just going from what I think is in tuna salad. Here's the details:

Tofu/Dill Salad Sandwiches
1lb tofu, pressed and crumbled
1/4C fresh dill, chopped
4T Vegenaise
1/2 chopped red onion
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1T apple cider vinegar
1t salt
1t black pepper

Mix it all together and enjoy. Side note: this will taste so much better if you make it in advance!
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Now to the bread. I made this loaf my first week of the experiment:

I am happy to say this was my loaf tonight:

I am really hoping that it tastes good...because it looks and smells like it does. I switched it up a bit this time. After making my pizza crust a few times, I began to think about how I should make this loaf...and how I could make it better. The basic ingredients wouldn't change...but I needed to do something. So, I split the flour between white and wheat. I also added some olive oil to the mix. I kneaded the dough a few minutes longer this time...and I think it may have been worth it. Here's the new recipe:

1 package yeast
1T sugar
2C warm water
1t salt (was 1T last time)
2 1/2C white unbleached flour
2 1/2C whole wheat flour
1T olive oil

Let yeast and sugar dissolve in warm water and set aside. Mix all other ingredients, then add in yeast mixture. Mix and begin to knead for 8-9 minutes. Let rise for 1 hour, then punch down and work out any air bubbles. Place in desired baking pan and let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add pan of water to lowest rack in oven 5 minutes before baking. Bake loaf for 15 minutes, then turn off heat and leave loaf in oven for 5 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
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I was planning on making some other snacks for Saturday, but haven't had the chance to get to it yet. Maybe tomorrow night? Monday is a holiday...so I'm hoping to play around a bit and see what I can come up with! Stay tuned.

I've been kicking the caffeine habit the past few months. I have limited myself to ONE cup of coffee in the morning while getting ready (not really so much on the weekends...I venture into two or possibly three cups). Otherwise, I drink hot tea. I'm not going to lie, I was super cranky the first few days but am very happy now. Well, I went to lunch today with a co-worker because we had a lot to catch up. Now, don't worry...I didn't eat anything...I had some carrots before we went and ate my meatballs when I got back. I did however, get a diet coke. I ended up drinking two glasses over the course of a few hours. Holy smokes...I felt disgusting. Not only was I not able to focus as much...I had a huge crash later on in the afternoon. I forget what it's like to be truly addicted to caffeine. I know I'll have soda's from time to time, but I need to limit my intake!

That's about all I have for tonight. I'm going to finish up dishes and be super lazy!

Until next time folks.

H to the Vizzo

Happy almost Valentine's Day everyone! Just another reason to support those greeting card companies! :)

Two more days and I will be officially half-way through my experiment! I can't believe that it's going by so quickly. I'm trying to recap the last few days here...not a lot of ground breaking news, I guess.

We had our potluck at work on Friday. That was fun...not. I sit right behind the two "shelves" where they put all the food. So every time I get up to go to the printer...or get water...or go to the bathroom...I have to look at all the awesome food. There are some smells that I could do without...but for the most part, things were smelling real good. You would be very proud of me though...I didn't screw up at all. I stuck to my olives, veggies and the lunch that I brought! Thankfully someone had made some homemade hummus (I verified the ingredients) that was awesome...so I snacked on that too. At the end of the day, I was kind of glad that I am doing this. I saved myself some serious calories.

Saturday night we decided to make some pizza! Yum...I love me some pizza. Dough: made from the roll recipe under the 2/9/11 post. I have to admit, I made it exactly the same as the rolls, but it turned out SO much better for pizza crust! The only think I did differently is letting it rise once. After it has doubled in size, punch it down and form it into the desired shape, add toppings and bake at 425 for 15-17 minutes.

I decided to make the sauce. There is some awesome, slightly chunky sauce at Wegmans. I used this for my inspiration. I have to say...this was really good. It makes quite a bit, just a warning.

Pizza Sauce

2T olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

14.5oz diced tomatoes

12oz tomato paste

20oz water

1t salt

1t black pepper

1 1/2t oregano

1 1/2t basil

1t red pepper flakes

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent then add garlic. Add all other ingredients and leave to simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Toppings are always up to you...but we used sauted mushrooms, red bell peppers, garlic stuffed green olives and artichoke hearts. One thing I like to do when making pizza is to saute any vegetables before putting them onto the pizza. The vegetables release a lot of liquid when they cook...so giving them a quick cook before putting them on your pizza crust will reduce the change of your crust being extra soggy from all the liquid.

Another pizza note: start putting your sauce on top, you won't regret it! This past summer Brian and I experienced the awesomeness of Pi (pizza place in STL). They do it Chicago style and they do it right. It's so good. If you are in STL, you just have to give this place a go. All of that being said, when you put the sauce on top, it creates this weird "crust" while it bakes...and makes it even more delicious.

I wanted to stretch myself this week and get outside of my comfort zone a little. So, I decided to make "meatballs". A coworker and I randomly started talking about it right after I started this blog...so I thought...it's time to make some meat. I'll give you the goods before sharing my thoughts (this made 40 balls):

Veggie Meatballs

2T olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

1/2lb garbanzo beans (soaked, then cooked)

2lbs extra firm tofu (pressed)

1/2C breadcrumbs

2t salt

2t black pepper

2t basil

1t oregano

2T Worcestershire Sauce (one without anchovies)

1T red wine vinegar

Start pressing tofu. I like to cut the blocks in quarters before pressing. I feel like this allows for more liquid to escape. Begin boiling garbanzo beans until nice and tender (make sure you have soaked these overnight before boiling).

In saute pan, saute onion in olive oil until nice and tender. Add garlic and turn off heat. Let residual heat cook the garlic.

Once beans have cooked, place in food processor and blend until creamy (adding a bit of olive oil or water as needed). Place beans in large mixing bowl with tofu, onion mixture, breadcrumbs and all other seasonings. With your hands mix all the ingredients together until all incorporated. Roll into desired size and place on cookie sheet.

Give each meatball a quick turn on the stove...browning each side. Place in oven safe container and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven, baste with desired sauce and return to oven for 15 more minutes.

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I went for two options: BBQ and red sauce. I made the same red sauce that I put on the pizza (made a little extra in case I decide to make pizza again over the weekend or next week). I made a little divider in my baking dish out of foil...I thought that was kind of genius. But there was nobody here to confirm that. :(

The overall flavor was really good. I think I prefer the BBQ option, but that's just my thing. The texture was a little soft. I'm not sure if baking them longer would have tightened them up? Perhaps if I had added some dry oats to the mixture, they would have absorbed some of the liquid...making the meatballs a little more "meaty"? They held their shape rather well, especially considering how soft they were. I think next time I'll add some TVP (textured vegetable protein) too.

I would definitely make these again! Although totally edible, I want to give them another go because I think I can do better.

I guess that's it for tonight. Stay tuned for new snacks and sandwiches later this week!