Meatless Monday - Gluten Free Broccoli and Parmesan Not Meatballs

People who don’t read this section of my blog posts often say things like “I don’t know what to cook for my friends who are vegetarians.” I often suggest something simple like spaghetti but sometimes I hear “you can’t have spaghetti without meatballs.” Well, okay, they have a point. So here is a recipe for some meatless meatballs. They are made with broccoli and parmesan cheese so they go great in spaghetti but I think they are so delicious you can eat them on their own. The picture here shows them with a simple side salad. They would also be great on a long crusty roll or any other way people enjoy meatballs.

These non-meatballs are made with almond flour so they are gluten free. You can make them with egg substitute and nutritional yeast if you are vegan.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. raw almonds
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed (about 2 cups)
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten
Olive oil mister or cooking spray

Directions:

Process the almonds in a food processor until they’re coarsely ground. Then transfer ground almonds to a medium bowl. Place the broccoli florets in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the chopped broccoli, cheese, and garlic to the almonds and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the egg. Spray a mini-muffin tin with olive oil or cooking spray. Form the broccoli mixture into 12 balls, squeezing them a little to make sure they hold their shape, and place each one in its own cup in the muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees until meatballs are golden on the outside and heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove tin from oven and run a butter knife along the edges of each muffin cup to loosen meatballs before gently removing them.

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