Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Turkey Meat-ah-balls.

by

We have just a few days left of:

before I collapse from the bird flu.

The candle is burning slowly now…

Until that day occurs,

I think I am going to pitch my own vegan advertisement

for meatless products.

Here is what I have so far:

“Turkey  Mockballs.

The other white, non-meat.

It’s what’s for dinner.” 

Or:

“My meatball has a first name, it’s:

K-I-D-N-E-Y

My meatball has a second name, it’s:

B-E-A-N-S”

Oh come on, they’re great slogans!

Sure, they are a bit recycled, but I think I am sitting on a gold mine.

You know what else is priceless?

Turkey Mockballs.

I want to eat my screen, they are so precious.

And delicious.

I had 3 last night for dinner 🙂

I think I can improve the texture a bit next time–they are a little soft.

But full of flavor? Absolutely!

And they look like turkeys!

If this doesn’t impress you, well then, I have nowhere to go from here. 

Balls of Meatless Nature Recipe

Makes approx. 14 balls ←I feel weird writing that (probably because I am immature)…

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can red kidney beans; rinsed, drained and mashed by fork
  • 3/4 c. Italian GF seasoned bread crumbs = (1/2 c. for mixture ; 1/4 c. to coat outer layer of balls)
  • 1/4 onion, chopped
  • 1 Tb flaxseed meal + 2 Tbs water, mixed and left to sit 5 minutes (egg replacer)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 Tbs spinach, chopped
  • 1 Tb fresh parsely, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add everything into a mixing bowl (except for 1/4 c. breadcrumbs) and stir until combined. You might have to get the dainty digits dirty…
  2. Roll dough into 14 small-ish balls. Roll them into 1/4 c. of breadcrumb mix to lightly coat.

     3.   In a non-stick skillet, heat up 1/2 Tb butter + 2 Tbs olive oil (you might need more as you go along). When hot, add beanballs into skillet and brown on all sides (I threw them into the toaster oven for another 5 minutes afterwards just to ensure that they heated throughly–optional).

ASSEMBLING TURKEY MEATBALLS:

Per Turkey:

  • 6 al dente Penne GF pasta pieces
  • 2 capers
  • orange bell pepper, end sliced
  • 1 slice of red bell pepper

Greg’s 5 year old nephew helped me make these little guys.

We both had a fun time as we watched the turkey come to life.

He even helped out with the photo shoot.

He chose the white napkin to be placed under the plate,

which I think was a great idea.

Here are his photos that he took:

He did a great job taking pictures, wouldn’t you say so?

He watched me take mine and really got the idea behind it.

Me thinks we have a Nigel Barker on our hands…

About Cara

Based in Chicago with her husband and son, Cara is the creator behind the site Fork and Beans: A place where kids can have fun with their food.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Cara

      Another satisfied person! Hooray!!! They really *are* tasty, aren’t they? You just have to get past the differing texture… I’m so happy to hear this, Ashley!

  2. Angela @ Vegangela.com

    (can you tell I’m playing catch-up? can you tell i have a report due for work and don’t feel like working?)

    oh i love these. i make mushroom based balls, but i like the protein factor in these. anoher bookmark!

    • Cara

      I’m not sure if they would attack us or if they just make everyone smile (and full)–you know how armies of turkey balls can be. Well, not really, they are so unpredictable! ha!

  4. Isobelle

    You know, I never used to like turkeys until you started making them out of food. I mean, they’re sort of really scary looking and they make a lot of noise. But you just make them seem so cute and friendly. Like I could cuddle them and have a great conversation with them before I ate their faces and stuff.
    I kind of wish your turkeys had some kind of tv series (I like to watch little kid shows sometimes and I’m not embarrassed to admit it!). All the turkeys could be friends with each other. And they all live in Cara’s house..yeah.

    Anyway, I think that these are a great idea. And your nephew might need his own food blog soon. Better watch out!

    • Cara

      Kinda like the “Smurfs” or something–they all can just wear pants and funny little hats with their own unique name based off of their personality…. hahaha. Hilarious. Well, I am so glad to hear that I have opened your eyes to the world of turkeys. Just call me the Turkey Whisperer 🙂

    • Cara

      How adorable can I get? Hmmmm, good question. A lot? hahaha. Totally kidding 🙂 Hope you are finding some time to breathe in the midst of your crazy schedule, Nora! xo

  8. Dawn

    These cuties might have to find their way onto my Thanksgiving plate. They look and sound delicious. And stop with the movies already 😉 The Holiday? Are you for serious? Most people I know don’t even know what that is when I mention it. I was just thinking yesterday it was time for another watch.

    • Cara

      I literally watch that movie, “Mean Girls” and “Love Actually” on rotation right around this time of year and watch them over and over and over and over and over (you get the point) again until the ushering of the new coming year. It’s tradition! You just need to move to Cali now, Dawn, so we can quote movies all day long 🙂

    • Cara

      GiGi, *you* are the one who must write a book–“The Best Vegan Jokes” or something. Okay, maybe that is a lame title but your humor must be on paper stat! xo

  10. Amanda

    These are cute, they look like sleeping turkeys! Can you tell me where you find vegan/gluten free Worcestershire sauce? I can find vegan, but not gluten free. 🙁 Any ideas you have would be great!

  11. Brooke

    That kid is a great photographer! And those are some great lookin’ meatballs! The big question is, though, did he like to eat them? In this house, it doesn’t matter how cute something is, it will still be deemed unacceptable if it has one weird thing in it. Of course, I hardly ever make such stinking cute food. The recipe looks major yummy, to me, turkey tail or not. Though… Hah!… This just gave me a great idea… My Dad and I are both vegetarians… These may be making an appearance on Thanksgiving! Do you think I could make the balls up a day ahead and cook and assemble them the next day?

    • Cara

      He had to leave before we could eat them but let me just say this: The kid begged for a slice of raw onion. ???!!!! And he was curious about the capers and wanted to try one as well. He is definitely adventurous when it comes to food, especially if Greg and I are eating it, he doesn’t want to feel left out 🙂 And Yes! You can definitely make these the day before, even ball them up and then cook them of ThanksVegetarian. Be warned that they still need some work (ie: I’m still scratching my head as to how to make them not as soft) so if you figure it out, share the wealth!

  12. uncommonlife

    Finally – a soy-free, gluten-free vegan meatball! I have been on the search for something like this for a long time. I can’t wait to try them.