Tofu Meatless Balls with Vegetable Combo Pasta Sauce

Serve over your favorite spaghetti and enjoy

 This dish is not difficult to make. To save time the ingredients that say chopped, crumbed or mashed can be prepared in a food processor. Left overs maybe placed in the deep freeze.

Serves 4-6 

Preheat oven at 180 degrees celsius

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
4 slices wholemeal bread, crumbed (approx 2 cups)
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
375g firm tofu, mashed
1/4 cup wholemeal flour
2 tablespoons savory yeast flakes
1 -2 tablespoons chopped parsley or coriander
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt

Method

- Prepare the first 4 ingredients individually in a food processor, then place in a mixing bowl. 
- Add the rest of ingredients and mix well to combine. 
- Take a tablespoon of mixture and with your hands shape into medium walnut size balls. Place them in a lightly oiled baking dish, or on a baking sheet or paper. 
- Bake in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes then turn the balls over and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Remove tofu balls from the oven, put them in a dish and cover with foil. Place the dish back in the oven and leave at least 30 minutes, MAKE SURE OVEN IS SWITCHED OFF. Doing this gives the tofu balls a nice dark brown appearance.

Tofu balls before they go in the oven to be cooked

 

Tofu balls after they have been cooked

  

Tofu ball after the foil has been removed

Vegetable Combo Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 medium size red capsicum (pepper), chopped

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups chopped eggplant, skin removed

1 cup fresh tomato chopped or a handful of cherry tomatoes

400g tin Italian diced tomatoes in juice

2 teaspoon sweet paprika (optional)

1 heaped teaspoon dry basil

1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

2 teaspoon sweetening, light honey or agave

season with salt to your taste

2 fresh or dry bay leaves

Method

- Place onions in a heated oiled pan over medium heat, saute until just starting to brown. 

- Add garlic cook further 2 minutes. Stir through basil and oregano cook another 2 minutes.

- Add eggplant, capsicum and fresh tomato, allow vegetables to cook down. 

- Add Italian diced tomatoes with juice, paprika, salt and sweetening. Stir mixture to combine, turn heat low and let sauce thicken and reduce. Adjust flavor if needed.  

DO NOT FORGET TO REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES

For a chunky sauce leave mixture as is. For a smooth sauce add your mixture to a blender and blend on high for a few seconds.

For a thinner running sauce add water as needed.

TO PLATE UP 

 Put your pasta on a plate. Add tofu balls. Pour over vegetable sauce as required. For extra taste and color garnish with fresh basil or baby spinach leaves.

Habakkuk 3:18  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will Joy in the God of my salvation

Posted by Yiannoulla Burness