Baked Walnut Balls (a vegan version)
I absolutely LOVE Anna Thomas's "Baked Walnut Balls" from her book, The Vegetarian Epicure. Since going vegan for my health (I had high cholesterol - I went vegan - my cholesterol levels are now healthy and normal!), I've been trying to figure out ways to make vegan versions of some of my old favorites... this adaptation fits the bill! If you don't have a problem with cholesterol, the original is awesome... if you can't find the book, there's a posting of the original recipe here: https://hannahcuttingjones.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/my-mother-pepper-and-those-almost-forgotten-walnut-balls/
- 1 cup ground walnuts
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 4 oz. grated vegan cheddar "cheese" (daiya's brand tastes good and melts nicely)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 1/4 cup rice bran or wheat bran
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- 1/4 cup dried parsley
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, soaked in 6 Tbsp water
- Ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup white sauce or tomato/spaghetti sauce (you can make a vegan white sauce by heating a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and then adding 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook the flour a bit, then add 1 cup of soy milk and cook until thickened. Season as you'd like - salt & pepper is my preference, but you want to get fancy, you can add minced onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, nutmeg... your taste buds are in charge!)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put everything except the sauce into a food processor and grind it up into a nice paste (how long you blend depends on how much texture you want in the finished product) - you want a mixture that will hold together well. Oil a baking dish. Roll the mixture into small balls, aiming for 15 or so - place them in the baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and pour sauce over the walnut balls. Continue baking for another 15 minutes until slightly browned. These are very good served with pasta or rice.