Winter blues got you down? These hearty vegan meatballs will send you to cosy town!
The Story
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been really feeling the cold. It’s like I’ve blinked and we’ve gone from celebrating long, sunny Summer evenings to snuggling up with a cuppa on the couch. I’m definitely more of a Summer girl so it’s been a bit of a shock to the system!
This being said, I absolutely adore some hearty Winter bites, I would definitely choose a soup over a salad any day. With this cold snap, I’ve been craving classic Italian food (minus the food coma afterwards).
I’ve also been working on putting together some custom recipes for a plant based client who was wanting some gorgeous recipes that would nourish her skin, boost her protein intake and introduce new foods.
These U L T I M A T E vegan meatballs tick all the boxes - pure soul food for these cooler Winter nights!!
Nutrition
H I G H I N P R O T E I N
Combining soy mince and quinoa, this meal is packed with plant based protein, with 35g of protein per serve. Both soy mince and quinoa are complete proteins, which means that they have all the amino acids that our body cannot make itself.
Using dry soy mince is a great way to increase the protein content of your meals without breaking the bank!! It’s also a fantastic pantry staple - it lasts forever!
H I G H I N I R O N
Beyond the protein boost, quinoa also contributes to the iron content of this meal. Adding to this, we’ve got plenty of iron in the frozen spinach.
Being non-hame iron, the vitamin C in the delicious home made tomato sauce will act as a helping hand in your gut to help your body absorb iron more effectively.
S K I N F O O D
With zinc and magnesium from quinoa and lycopene from the tomatoes, this recipe is designed to provide your skin with all the goodies that it needs to glow. I’m all about nurturing from the inside out!
S O U R C E O F B 1 2
I’m a big fan of including a source of B12 every day - this recipe is no exception. Just a sprinkling of nutritional yeast is perfect to support regular B12 supplementation (if you’re plant based).
The Recipe
Serves 2
N U T R I T I O N I N F O
Energy…………………………. 2171kJ
Protein………………………… 34.5g
Fat……………………………….. 9.8g
Carbohydrate……………… 78.2g
(per serve)
I N G R E D I E N T S
M E A T B A L L S
1 tb flaxseeds, ground
1/2 tsp oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced (2 cloves)
1 tb Italian herbs
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup soy protein
1 cup boiling water
1 cube stock
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup flour
S A U C E
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tin chopped toms
4 cubes of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 cup green beans
B A S E
1/2 cup quinoa
M E T H O D
1. Combine flaxseeds and 2 tb water in a small bowl.
2. Rinse quinoa, add to a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to the boil and cook until tender.
3. In a frying pan, sautee onion in a dash of oil over a medium heat. Once softened, add garlic, Italian herbs and smoked paprika. Cook for a further 3 mins until fragrant.
4. In a large bowl, combine soy protein, stock cube, boiling water. Stir well until most of the water has absorbed. Add flaxseed mixture, onion mixture, breadcrumbs and flour, mixing to combine.
5. Roll mixture into balls (just smaller than a golfball).
6. On a medium heat, add a spash of oil to the original frying pan and brown meatballs on all sides (~15 mins).
7. Remove meatballs from pan, and start preparing the sauce. Add a dash of oil and soften second measure of onions. Add Italian herbs and cook until fragrant.
8. Add 1 tin chopped tomatoes and frozen spinach, stir to combine then place meatballs and green beans in the sauce. Reduce for ~2 mins.
9. Serve over quinoa, top with nutritional yeast and enjoy!
I’d love to hear how you get along with the recipe and see your take on it! Drop us a comment below or hit us up on Instagram!
Like the idea of personalised recipes? You can get your hands on some of your own tailored recipes by booking in for an appointment and meal plan here!
Until next time, F E E D your body and mind xx
Fuchsia Goldsmith
NZRD, wellness enthusiast.