Healthier, Lighter Half-Meat Meatballs or Meatloaf

Submitted by One Happy Woman

"This is a blend of a vegetarian meatloaf from Vegetarian Times and a regular meatloaf recipe. We like meat. And we're trying to lower our refined carb and fat intake. Not always easy. This makes delicious meatballs. I bake these, and serve in marinara, or for a splurge, in Trader Joe's Alfredo Sauce to which I add a little white wine, over broth-'sauteed' onions, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms. Pretty darned good, lemme tell ya."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 21
• Yields: 32 meatballs
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 6 ounces textured vegetable protein
• 5 ounces tofu
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1⁄2 onion
• 4 scallions
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 cup mushroom, chopped
• 1⁄2 red pepper
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 lb ground lean pork
• 8 ounces lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 3⁄4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 2 -3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1⁄3 cup low sodium vegetable broth

directions

1. Reconstitute 1/2 12-ounce package of TSP/TVP according to package directions, in either hot water or with additional hot low-sodium broth.
2. Finely chop the celery, onions, scallions, garlic and mushrooms and 'saute' in 1 T oil for a few minutes, then add the broth and stir over medium heat until soft. Let cool.
3. Crumble the tofu, add the rest of the ingredients and the cooked vegetables and mix well with your hands. Add a more bread crumbs if needed to bind these; they will be light and will firm up a bit in the oven while they cook.
4. Microwave a small amount to taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
5. Form into meatballs and bake on non-stick spray prepared foil until cooked through. I make 1 1/2 inch meatballs, because that's the size my ice cream scooper makes, and I bake them at 350 for about 40 minutes. If you want to make a meatloaf with this, bake it for an hour.