Vegan Yumminess

Happy Monday!

I’m super excited to share with you my new favorite vegan “meat”ball recipe and one of my absolute favorite vegan cookbooks.

First, the “meatballs.”

What I love about these meatballs (which, by the way, are adapted from the 7 Secrets Cookbook) is that they are easy to make, essentially oil-free, and downright delicious.

Take a bite outta this.

These puppies right here are probably the best vegan meatless meatball that I have tasted to date. And, I’ve had alot of ‘em. Just sayin’.

They are just a a little bit crunchy on the outside, super flavorful, yes, no refined oils (other than what might be in your breadcrumbs, depending on what kind you use), and, aaaaand, you’re going to love them. I just know it.

Has anyone ever acknowledged the fact that blogging about food is sometimes sheer torture?

I mean, I’m sitting here at 10 o’clock at night writing about these amazing “meat” balls that Jonathan finished off long ago (For real. He probably ate 12 of them after coming home from a 30 mile bike ride.) My stomach wants food, and the only thing that I really want is the sweet and sour tofu pecan balls that are dangling in front of me on the screen. Torture, I tell you, sheer torture.

So, let’s stop discussing meatless meatballs, and move on to a giveaway! For a few years now I have had an extra copy of 7 Secrets Cookbook sitting on my bookshelf, and I’m still not sure how I got it.

Nevertheless, 7 Secrets has to be on my top five list of awesome plant-based cookbooks, for several reasons:

• The recipes are awesome.
• The recipes are healthy–low to no refined fats and sugars in these recipes, folks!
• The authors ran a restaurant, Five Loaves Deli, in Seattle that my parents and I frequented when I was a kid. I was always thrilled to eat at Five Loaves Deli for Sunday brunch. I still remember the brown rice ice “cream” that was served on waffles there. Incredible stuff! Basically, I’m a little bit nostalgic when I use 7 Secrets Cookbook.
• The authors, Neva and Jim Brackett, are personal family friends and are what I would call forerunners of the plant-based diet. They promoted the vegan diet back in the early ’90s, when seemingly no one else was vegan.

So there you have it. Someone is going to really love this cookbook.

I must say…. There are a couple of recipes in 7 Secrets that use honey. If this is a problem for you, feel free to substitute with agave nectar. Aaannd, the photography inside 7 Secrets is a little less than spectacular. It gives you an idea of what the food is supposed to look like, and it looks tasty, but this cookbook is all about fabulous recipes, and not just about the pictures. Just so ya know.

Thanks to all of you for being such faithful and fabulous readers of this here bloggity blog. I hope you try out these meatless “meat” balls, and don’t forget to enter this giveaway using the rafflecopter below.

If you don’t win, no worries! You can still purchase yourself a 7 Secrets Cookbook (and read its reviews) for an affordable price here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tofu Pecan Balls

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Serves	24
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	40 minutes
Allergy	Wheat
Dietary	Diabetic, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Formal Party

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I pulsed torn pieces of whole grain bread in my Vitamix blender. If you use pre-processed store-bought crumbs, you may need to add just a little more water at the end.)
• 1 cup whole pecans (finely minced. I pulsed whole pecans in my Vitamix to make 3/4 cup total.)
• 1/3 cup onions (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried Basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1` dash cayenne pepper
• 14oz extra firm tofu (or one brick, crumbled)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
• 2 tablespoons water (or more, depending on the type of breadcrumbs that you use.)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

Place breadcrumbs, pecans, onions, oats, and seasonings in a mixing bowl, and combine until well incorporated. Then, add your crumbled tofu, and remaining ingredients. If you are using pre-processed, store-bought breadcrumbs, you may need to add an extra tablespoon of water. Your mixture should be soft and malleable, but be able to hold together a ball shape.

Step 3

Form 2 tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment or Silpat lined (or oil-sprayed) baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-30 minutes, or until balls are a nice golden brown color and aren't mushy on the inside.

Step 4

Serve hot or at room temperature with marinara or sweet and sour sauce (my favorite). Top with a little vegan mozzarella and basil , if desired. I used Trader Joe's mozzarella style shreds.

Step 5

Keep leftovers refrigerated. Makes about 24 balls.

Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or pulsed chunky cooked tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste, depending on how salty your cooked tomatoes are)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Step 1

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, and place on medium heat on your stove.

Step 2

Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated.

Step 3

Allow sauce to boil for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with meatballs.