Quick, Easy, Adjective-Laden, Gluten-Free, Vegan Tofu Meatballs!

Let's be honest here... a man can only eat so many frozen Amy's vegan burritos before he begins to question why he ever went vegan in the first place. (Note: This is not a slam on Amy's at all. I really love their burritos. Just. Not. Every. Single. Day.) The real reason that I had adopted my pattern of habitual consumption of these delicious burritos was because due partially to my work/school schedule and partially because my weekly menus had gotten a tad boring. In the typically week I would generally have two options for lunch/dinner: Dry Rub BBQ Tofu or Tempeh Tacos. Something had to change... fast.

Fast forward to this evening: I'd been working with some pasta, marinara, and vegan mozz cheese as dinner for the last few weeks, but I realized that the dish was lacking in the protein department. After Googling for a little while, I found two types of recipes: complex recipes I didn't have the time for (sorry Vegandad) or tempeh meatballs. Since I didn't feel like going to the store and I wanted to use up some tofu that was reaching the end of it's shelf-life, I ended up doctoring a recipe (found here), and let the good times roll.

So without further adieu, I present to you: Quick, Easy, Adjective-Laden, Gluten-Free, Vegan Tofu Meatballs.

Yields: 10-14 2" meatballs

Total time investment: 35 minutes (excluding tofu drain time)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. firm tofu (pressed/drained)
• 2 tbsp. onion flakes
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Pepper
• Dash of garlic powder
• Gluten-free bread crumbs (Or the normal stuff. Whatever floats your boat.)
• 2 tbsp of cornstarch (or 1 egg for the lacto-ovos)
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• Ketchup (tell-tale sign of a classy recipe)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Cube (1/4" cubes) the drained tofu.
3. Combine spices (Note: NOT the cornstarch) into a bowl.
4. Mash the tofu up with your hands and incorporate the spices. You want the tofu to lose it's shape (no discernible tofu cubes).
5. Slowly incorporate a bit of ketchup (2-3 tbsp, maybe more), some of the gluten-free bread crumbs, and the cornstarch. Do this until the mixture is of a good meatball consistency (Wet but not too wet. Dry but not too dry. Firm but not too firm... you get the idea. This step is all about feel. If you've made regular meatballs or meatloaf in the past, use that experience because it's the same general consistency. Otherwise, consulate one of your meat-eating friends. Or your mom.)
6. Roll the mix into balls, place on a greased baking pan (you know, for brownies), and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. (I sprinkled some extra bread crumbs on top before I put it in the oven.)

Note: These meatballs are fine as-is, but if you want to give them some extra pop (I recommend this), saute them in some olive oil for a few minutes to brown them up nicely.

Just out of the oven:

Browning with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Vegan Meatball Parm Sub (mozz cheese via Tofutti):
The bread is not gluten-free, but the meatballs still are. (Thanks Amanda.)