Yesterday was International Meatout Day, which I did not know existed until the day after! The creators of International Meatout Day also sponsor Meatless Mondays, a great way to focus on eating Vegetarian one day a week. This is perfect timing for me, as I haven’t had meat in 7 days!

I got more Tofu Shirataki Noodles and Kyle made some Marinara the other night, so I decided to make a Healthy Spaghetti and meat vegballs. I have decided I personally don’t like the idea of vegetarian foods tasting like meat. I am trying to wean myself of meats and meat cravings and begin to like healthier things. Instead of using a fake meat in my meatball, I used 4 vegetables, pureed soy beans and a cup of oats, now which do you think is better for my body?

Cook the Tofu Shirataki Noodles according to the package. I like to use my kitchen shears and cut the noodles a few times, since they seem to be much longer than normal pasta. Use your favorite store bought Marinara, or you can make your own. Kyle made mine earlier in the week, so it sure did have a kick to it.

Meatless Meat Balls
yield: 20 balls

1/4 cup celery, small dice
1/4 cup zucchini, small dice
1/4 cup red bell pepper, small dice
1/4 cup poblano, small dice
handful parsley, chopped roughly
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 can soy beans
1 egg
salt, pepper, seasoned salt, red pepper flakes

1. Cut veggies and parsley and put in large mixing bowl.
2. Add the rolled oats and mix.
3. Puree half of a can of soy beans. Add the mixture and 1 egg to the veg/oat mixture and mix.
4. Add all seasonings to taste. If the mix is too wet add more oats, otherwise form meatball sized balls.
5. Grease a baking sheet and bake 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until browned. Lightly shake the pan many times during bake so the balls will get browned all over and not stick.
6. Combine with with the warm noodles and marinara and toss. Top with grated Parmesan.

I really enjoyed this meal. Kyle tasted it and said “yuck, those don’t taste like meat” to which I replied “why would I want oats and veggies to taste like meat?”. What I’m saying is, don’t make these if you are trying to fool someone, these are for the people who want to eat and taste the veggies! The marinara got a bit hot so I put a dollop of sour cream on top, which was really good!