My Neatballs

We had some odds and bobs lying around, so I decided to make minestrone. While I was at it, I figured I could make Italian wedding soup. Sort of. I decided to make some faux meatballs.

You'll need:
1 T. olive oil
2 T. minced onion
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 T. plain tomato sauce
2 T. dry white wine (I used dry vermouth)
4 T. water (1/4 c.)
dried oregano, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper
fresh parsley
2 vegan Boca burgers, thawed and crumbled
a bit of whole wheat flour

canola oil

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, along with the dried herbs. Once it starts to sizzle, add the wine and tomato sauce. When it becomes thick, add the water. Stir until incorporated and reduced. (No longer runny.) Taste and add a bit of salt if needed. (The Bocas have some salt, so use less than you think you need.)

Put the parsley and crumbled Bocas into a small bowl. Add the sauce. Mix well. Add a sprinkle of whole wheat flour if it's too soggy.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Cover the bottom of it with canola oil, about 1/8 inch deep. Heat over medium until a cube of bread turns brown within a few seconds. While the oil is heating, roll your mixture into small balls. Each ball should be about the size of a cherry tomato.

(At this point, I rolled them all in whole wheat flour. However, I could see the grains on the final product, so I suggest you skip this part. If you used enough flour in your meatballs, it should brown nicely and not stick or fall apart.)

Fry in batches. Use a spatter guard to keep from getting burned and messing up the top of your stove. Shake the pan gently and use a spatula to brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, fork, or spatula, and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Ta-da!