These Moroccan meatballs are the veganization of one of our absolute favorite meals–the kind that you try on a whim, maybe the ingredients sound good or whatever, and when you take that first bite, you both look at each other and simultaneously groan.
“It’s soooo good”, you mutter to one another, amid forkfuls of the tender meatballs, fortified with grassy cilantro, in a beautifully spiced tomato sauce, dotted with kalamata olives, over fluffy couscous and plumped dates. “So.. soo.. so good.” “Is there more?” O asks, just curious, of course. But no, there’s not. Because we’re already portions for giants, as I anticipated this situation after a spy taste in the kitchen, standing over an aromatic pot of simmering meatballs, hints of a Moroccan market wafting up from the stove. Naturally, there was no way I could let this recipe go to waste once we decided to go vegan. Instead, I gave it a 5-star veganization treatment and blew myself away with the results. I had a bag of dried TVP (textured vegetable protein, which even sounds terrifyingly processed) in the pantry I planned on turning into meatballs, but upon a bit of research, threw away those creepy pellets and whipped up a batch of exceptionally tender seitan, which I then ground in the food processor. I found the resulting texture to be very similar to that of ground beef, and the flavor even better! Unlike ground meat, seitan retains its tender texture and nutty flavor throughout the cooking process, still allowing the cilantro and ginger to shine through the meatballs. I actually created this recipe as a solution to O’s general meat-nagging (you know, the nagging to eat meat) and pretty consistent demands for this dish. I essentially created the sauce for two of us, then split it up to simmer the meatballs after they’d finished baking. I prepared the meatball ingredients for the two of us (except for his meatballs’ egg) and split them up to make two different little “batches”. It worked quite well for us, and the results were just positively delicious. For just a bit more work, you can satisfy the meat-eater in your life, whilst serving yourself a healthy, plant-based meal that’ll help lengthen your life, lessen your environmental impact on the planet, and give you more energy!
