Give Meatless Monday a try

Since Thanksgiving, we’ve been deluged with named days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday. And, if those weren’t enough, this past week we’ve seen Cookie Day, Sacher Torte Day, Gazpacho Day and Brownie Day. Although I haven’t personally observed all of these, several local restaurants avidly embrace another popular trend, Meatless Monday. 

Avoiding meat on a specific day can be traced back to World War I, when food was in shorter supply. In addition to Meatless Monday, the government also encouraged Wheatless Wednesday to preserve limited resources. During the second World War, the practice resurfaced along with planting backyard Victory Gardens. 

The most recent incarnation of Meatless Monday emerged in 2003 with a focus on preserving the environment as well as promoting healthy eating habits. Supporters quote statistics about the hefty cost of raising livestock, compared to the more benign impacts associated with growing vegetable food crops for human consumption. 

A look at the offerings on menus at college cafeterias, urban food trucks and meal delivery services shows how prevalent this part-time practice has become. The combination of cost savings for choosing lower-priced ingredients and health benefits of higher-fiber, lower-fat foods has attracted many followers. 

First, a definition: meatless means no meat from animals should be on the menu, specifically hoofed, winged and swimming creatures. One inconsistency is the inclusion of dairy products and eggs, which vegans consider animal-sourced food. For the sake of Meatless Monday (not a strict vegan diet but a day without meat) eggs are treated not as meat, but simply as eggs, which appear in many dishes served on Meatless Monday. 

Although we make an effort to vary our diet, we haven’t made the conscious change to Meatless Mondays. This week, I thought I would give it a try, searching for a dinner menu that would appeal to both of us. The most popular Meatless Monday recipes you’ll find with a quick internet search are the ironically named Meatless Meatballs. 

Each of the variations features an ingredient designed to provide the rich mouthfeel and umami taste of meat. My favorite of these is roasted mushrooms, which fill the house with an almost-bacon aroma while they cook. Another ingredient is some sort of breading, either breadcrumbs, panko or (my first choice) ground oatmeal. 

The third main ingredient is a legume or grain, cooked and then pureed into a thick paste.

Examples include quinoa, lentils and brown rice. Other ingredients used to fill this role are cauliflower and tempeh. Eggs are usually incorporated as a binding agent, and the list of seasonings in most of these recipes is quite lengthy. 

Seasoning and texture are the two keys to successful meatless meatballs. The flavorings are essential to overcoming a potentially flat, bland result. This is why you’ll find so many curry-heavy or cumin-spiced meatballs. For the version in the photo, we used a traditional Italian herb-flavored profile, stirring sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste into the mix. 

These meatballs are shown plated on Romaine lettuce leaves, sitting in a puddle of rich walnut pesto and garnished with shredded Parmesan cheese. Alternative serving ideas are layering meatballs on a long roll with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella or stacking them on a pile of spaghetti. I’ve included the recipe for Italian-herbed meatballs and one for chickpea and zucchini meatballs to serve as an appetizer with tahini sauce. If you want to try Meatless Monday, meatballs may be the easiest place to start.

Italian Herbed Meatballs

8 oz sliced Baby Bella mushrooms 
1 T olive oil 
1/2 C dry brown lentils 
1 C beef broth 
1 T olive oil 
1 diced onion 
2 T chopped parsley 
1 t oregano 
1/2 t thyme 
1/4 t tarragon 
pinch red pepper flakes 
2 T minced sun-dried tomato 
1 T Worcestershire sauce 
1 T tomato paste 
1/3 C rolled oats 
1 egg, beaten 
salt & pepper, to taste 
shredded Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter mushrooms in a single layer and drizzle with 1 T olive oil. Bake until deeply browned, about 20 minutes. Combine lentils and beef broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain off excess liquid and set aside. Heat 1 T olive oil in a small skillet; add diced onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle herbs and sun-dried tomatoes over onions, stirring to combine.

Deglaze skillet with Worcestershire sauce, stirring to collect any browned bits. Stir in tomato paste; set aside. Place oatmeal in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the consistency of flour; remove to a mixing bowl. Place cooked mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until crumbly; add to bowl with oat flour. Add drained lentils to the mixing bowl. Add onion mixture and beaten egg to the mixing bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place in a single layer on the same baking sheet used for the mushrooms.

Cook until well browned, about 20 minutes. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 to 10 meatballs.

Zucchini Chickpea Meatballs 

1 zucchini 
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained 
1 C almond meal 
1/2 C grated red onion 
2 pressed garlic cloves 
1 egg, beaten 
1/2 t salt 
1/2 t white pepper 
1 T olive oil 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick baking spray; set aside. Grate zucchini into a colander lined with paper towels; set aside. Pour chickpeas into a large mixing bowl and mash until smooth. Add almond meal, onion, garlic and eggs; mix to thoroughly combine.

Squeeze the zucchini shreds into the paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible.

Add zucchini to mixing bowl along with salt and pepper. Stir to a uniform consistency. Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on prepared baking pan in a single layer.

Drizzle with olive oil and bake, flipping once, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with tahini sauce.

Tahini Sauce 

1 C tahini paste 
3 garlic cloves 
1/4 C lemon juice 
1/2 t salt 
1 C water, divided 
1 t olive oil 
fresh cracked pepper 

Combine tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 C water in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until light and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add more water as needed until the desired consistency is reached. To serve, place in a bowl and garnish with a swirl of olive oil and cracked pepper.