(Better Than Meat) Ball + Spicy Chimichurri

I love a good meatball. They're party friendly, can be made in advance, freeze well, and there's nothing not fun about their name.

This recipe uses my favorite plant-based sausage, Beyond, along with cannellini beans and chopped spinach to create a ball that out-balls your fav. 

My take on chimichurri for this dish uses both parsley + cilantro and red wine vinegar + lemon for the acidic punch. For the real deal though, get into this lovely lady. Her recipe is the best by far. It's the one I use most often and would have used today had I had balsamic vinegar.

The chimichurri can be stored in the fridge for like a week, and the meatballs can be made in advance and frozen (which is what I do.) 

Salud!

t. 

Meatballs: 

4 links hot Italian sausage (I used Beyond, but do what makes you happy)

Cannellini beans, 1 can (drained and rinsed)

Spinach, super chopped -1 cup if thawed and drained from frozen, 2 cups if fresh
1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

1/2 cup finely chopped basil 

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley 

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, finely chopped 

1 tsp. fennel seed 

1 tsp. nutritional yeast

Crushed red pepper (to your liking) 

1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp olive oil 

Note: I do not use a binding agent to replace the egg in traditional meatballs. I just know to be easy when flipping my meatballs in the pan and it's fine.  By all means, use 1 egg or the equivalent egg replacer if that's a thing for you. 

Here's what they look like raw, golf ball or garlic head sized.

Chimichurri Sauce: 

1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped 

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed beyond recognition into a paste

1 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp super finely minced onion 

2 tbsp crushed red pepper  

1/2 cup red wine vinegar 

Juice of half of lemon

3/4 cup olive oil 

1/4 cup boiling hot water 

1 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. white pepper 

To make meatballs: 

Mix all that stuff together and make golf ball size meat circles, about 18. Heat enough olive oil to cover a heavy pan on medium heat for like 10 minutes. Place meatballs in pan - not touching - and fry till each side is brown. You'll need to do a couple batches if you're making all 18 balls at once. Otherwise, you can freeze the remaining balls to use another delicious day.

To make chimichurri sauce: 

Mix garlic paste, onion, vinegar and seasonings thoroughly. Add cilantro and parsley and coat well. Slowly add in boiling water. Introduce olive oil to the mix, stirring in slowly. 

I made whipped potatoes tonight, but they're just as delicious with rice or a baguette...or out of your fingers, hovering over the pan like a raccoon. "Eat like no one's watching". - T.