Vegetarian (Tempeh) Meatballs

I was really in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs but unfortunately we did not have any ground meat in our freezer and O and I were not interested in venturing out into the 90 degree weather to get some meat. So... I found some tempeh in our refrigerator and I figured there must be some way to make meatballs out of these! I found this great recipe online that I altered slightly and they were delicious! They taste almost as good as real meatballs but there is nothing quite like a ground beef and pork meatball so I won't proclaim them just as good. However, it is a great way to get some protein and a healthier meatball with your pasta meals!

*I forgot to take a photo of the meatballs so instead I am sharing my new flour and sugar storage containers! I have been looking for something like this for a few months so I was psyched to find them on sale at target this week...

Tempeh Meatballs

Ingredients

2 8 oz. Packages of Soy Tempeh

1/2 cup Quinoa Flour (or whole wheat/other grain flour) 

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar 

1/4 cup Olive Oil 

1 tsp. Garlic Powder 

1 tsp. Onion Powder 

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper 

1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. dried Basil

3/4 tsp. Salt 1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. dried thyme 

Directions

Cut the tempeh into 1 inch cubes and steam with a little bit of water for 10 minutes in the microwave
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the steamed tempeh and all other ingredients in a food processor or large bowl. Process until the tempeh is completely broken up and everything comes together.

Lightly grease or spray a cookie sheet. Form the tempeh into ~1 inch meatballs and place on cookie sheet. Bake in the oven until browned, about 20 minutes.

If freezing, make sure to allow these to cool completely before doing so. Otherwise the water vapor will make them quite hard to get out after they have frozen together.

Makes 24 Meatballs.
4 meatballs is a serving.

Number of Servings: 6


Reference: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=633944