Aubergine (Eggplant) Vegetarian "Meatballs" with Lemon-y Quinoa
 
Ingredients
For the “Meatballs”
  • 1 aubergine (eggplant), chopped into 2cm / 0.75” cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon mixed italian herbs
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 egg or 1 chia egg (1 tablespoon chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water, set for 10 minutes)
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
  • 4½ tablespoons buckwheat flour
  • 1½ tablespoons rolled oats
  • 3 tablespoons ricotta or cottage cheese
  • 1 tablespoon psyllium husk
  • 1 jar tomato sauce of choice (look for sugar free varieties)
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • ¼ cup chopped black olives
  • Coconut or olive oil, for cooking
For the Quinoa
  • 1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight if possible
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Instructions
For the “Meatballs”
  1. Start by placing your chopped aubergine (eggplant) in a colander over a bowl or sink and tossing with the 1 teaspoon of salt. Leave to “sweat” for 30 minutes then rinse and pat dry before using. This is optional, but helps get rid of any bitterness and also keeps it from getting soggy and oily in the pan. If you’re short for time or your aubergine (eggplant) is small and fresh, skip it.*
  2. Preheat your oven to 185ºC/365ºF and lightly grease or line a baking tray.
  3. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in skillet over low-medium heat and fry your onion and garlic for 1 minute before adding your aubergine (eggplant) along with your herbs, spices, and black pepper. Add ¼ cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender - about 10 minutes - adding more water if necessary
  4. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and mash with a fork until mushy. Stir in the egg or chia egg, carrots, buckwheat flour, oats, ricotta and psyllium husk until combined.
  5. Scoop out ½ tablespoon of the mixture and, with damp hands, roll into a ball and place on the baking tray. Repeat until all the mixture has been used. Place meatballs in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned.
  7. When your meatballs are almost done, heat your tomato sauce in the skillet you used along with the capers and olives.
  8. Place the cooked meatballs into the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.
  9. Serve hot with the quinoa, some fresh lemon slices, and extra chopped parsley on top.
For the Quinoa
  1. If soaking quinoa, place in a bowl and cover with filtered water along with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Leave at room temperature overnight. Once ready to use, drain and thoroughly rinse. If not soaking, thoroughly rinse quinoa before using.
  2. Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the quinoa. Cook the quinoa and garlic together until the water has evaporated and the quinoa starts to slightly toast. Add lemon juice along with 1 cup of water (1¼ if un-soaked) and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is completely absorbed, around 10-13 minutes for soaked and 15-20 for un-soaked.
  3. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Before serving fluff quinoa with a fork and stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust any seasoning. Serve warm.
Notes
*If you haven’t salted the eggplant before cooking, add in some salt along with the spices.

VEGAN - use tofu instead of ricotta and use the chia egg method.
Recipe by Sprinkle of Green at https://www.sprinkleofgreen.com/aubergine-eggplant-vegetarian-meatballs-lemon-y-quinoa