The Family Table: Sometimes, offbeat ideas can work
Several years ago, I let Gabe, then 13, pick what he wanted to eat for New Year’s Eve.
It’s a mistake I’ll never make again.
While I’ve never received a clear answer as to what inspired his choice (and frankly, I don’t think I want to know), he wanted us to eat kielbasa tacos.
Those two words together, if not an oxymoron, are certainly a culinary abomination.
Yet, I promised he could choose, so I made it, we ate it (and vowed never to eat it again) — and Gabe, now 16, still pretends that the kielbasa taco was a stroke of food fusion genius.
In fact, when I have him read this, I guarantee you he will put on a straight face and insistently declare to me just how delicious they were.
While they weren’t inedible, they certainly weren’t a meal I’d repeat. Guacamole and kielbasa are not the pairing of the future.
I was reminded of the kielbasa taco when my husband texted me at work, telling me that he and Gabe were finishing up lunch before doing a few chores around the house.
Gabe apparently put a hurtin’ on some cheddarwurst, topping it with sweet and sour sauce. Yes, the same red, jelly-like sweet and sour sauce you get with sweet and sour chicken at most Chinese restaurants.
“Sweet and sour sauce on cheddar sausage? That’s gross,” I told Gabe.
“I put it on the side, not on it, and only dipped it once and decided it was gross,” he responded.
“As gross as the kielbasa taco?” I asked.
A one word response and teenage eye roll followed: “Nope.”
At least he’s learning to admit it when some things so obviously shouldn’t be paired.
But every once in a while, something that doesn’t seem like it’d be a great culinary success turns out surprisingly good. Such was the case with my eggplant meatballs. Previously, I’d snuck roasted eggplant puree into the meat mix.
I wondered, though, if I could make the balls with only the eggplant — same flavors, but using summer’s bounty to replace meat.
Turns out, the answer is yes. With a household consensus of success, I feel good about encouraging you to give it a try.
Eggplant Meatballs
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, and diced into small pieces (mine was just over 1 pound)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
录 cup chopped fresh parsley
5-6 large basil leaves, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2-3 tablespoons grated hard cheese (Parmesan, Romano, etc.)
1-1陆 cups breadcrumbs (I used gluten free panko)
Salt/pepper
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Do not add oil. Toss in the chopped up eggplant, and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, and about 1/4 cup water, stirring to combine everything. Put a lid on, and when the water starts to evaporate, stir the eggplant and garlic, add another 1/4 cup. Continue with this method until the eggplant is soft and cooked through, and all the water is evaporated.
Once that mix is cooled, puree it in a blender. In a bowl, combine the puree with the herbs, egg, cheese, salt and pepper and about 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Stir together and see if the mixture will hold a ball shape. Add more breadcrumbs until the mix can be rolled into balls.
Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 15 minutes. Flip the balls over and bake for another 10 minutes. I used a silicone baking mat. If you don’t have one, use parchment paper. If you don’t have that, make sure you use cooking spray or a non-stick baking sheet.