EGGPLANT QUINOA MEATBALLS + A WEEKS WORTH OF MEALS

OCTOBER 5, 2015

eggplant-meatballs

I’ve fallen off the “blog-a-sphere” grid. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking, feeding my family, and creating new and interesting dishes. It simply means that maintaing a food blog is a f@%*ing lot of work and the compensation sucks. Yea, everyone reading it hopefully gets inspired and in truth, that should be compensations enough. Right? A few years ago, my answer would have been, “heck-ya”. But these days, people and business’ actually pay me to strategically market and identify their brands, collateral, on line presence, and social media. And unlike my kids, they actually listen to what I have to say. Huh…go figure. My collaboration is helping chefs, restaurant owners, designers, and entrepreneurs realize their vision and their dreams. Fun…I know.

So, I must thank this little blog for being my teacher. I’ll continue to cook something every night (eventhough they all find something to complain about), pack their lunches each and every morning and send them off to school with something nutritious in their bellies. I’ll do my very, very best to share what I am cooking for my family, but more importantly, for me. As I try to move myself into a more plant based diet, my attempts at new and interesting dishes are often times disasterous. But as Dory has adviced me, “keep on swimming”.

In trying to find the balance between what I want to eat and what I need to feed my kids, my meals each week will continue to be a combo of all food groups, whether I eat them or not. Today’s meal was inspired by my friend, Jennifer. She’s an awesome cook and an even better hostess. We shared a girls night this past week, under her Sukkah(in celebration of Sukkot). She made a version of these eggplant meatballs that were a cross between a very soft falafel and grain patty. Delicoius. I have recreated my version and I think this is going to become my new fridge staple.

If you’ve made anything unique and delicious, I would love to hear about it. Please share your recipes on my Facebook page.

My family will be eating a little of this and that this week:

Sunday: 10/4/15
Eggplant Meatballs (see recipe below)
Marinara
Spaghetti Squash
Roasted Broccoli

Monday: 10/5/15
Roasted Salmon
Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Asparagus

Tuesday: 10/6/15
Rigatoni All’Amatriciana
Caesar Salad

Wednesday: 10/7/15
Patty Melts
Yam Fries
Greek Salad (recipe to follow)

Thursday: 10/8/15
Quinoa Falafals
Israeli Salad
Hummus

Friday: 10/9/15
“Friday Night Lights” – High School Football
Late Night Dinner
Tortilla Soup
Make your own Sandwiches

Eggplant Meatballs

ingredients:
2 small eggplants, peeled and sliced
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/4 cup quinoa, cooked
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

instructions:
• preheat oven to 400*. line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil and coat with oil of your choice.
• place eggplant slices on a paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. let sweat for 10 minutes and then pat dry.
• heat a heavy duty pot over medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• dice eggplant and place in pot. saute for 10 minutes or until soft. add garlic and saute for 1 more minute. mash with a potato masher to puree. let cool.
• in a large bowl, whisk egg, egg white, grated cheese, parsley, basil, quinoa, salt, and pepper. cover with plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for 30 minutes.
• drain any excess water from the mixture.
• using a 1/4 cup ice cream scooper, scoop mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
• bake for 60 minutes, turning half way through in order to brown each side.
• serve with your favorite marinara sauce or simply eat directly from the pan.

Yield: 14 meatballs (1/4 cup each)

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