Tofu Balls with Spaghetti

Vegan Mofo Day 28:

It is quite depressing that the long weekend is almost over and as usual it felt too short. For today's lunch I made these yummy tofu balls and served them over whole wheat spaghetti. Recipe is from The Ultimate book of Vegan Cooking by Tony & Yvonne Bishop-Weston.

Tofu balls are quite delicate and need to be cooked and turned very gently. Nudge the balls gently from the bottom when turning. They tend to stick to the pan, so it is very important they are lifted gently. (I know I said it too many times in 2 sentences, but they are very delicate and need to be treated ge......). The uncooked tofu mixture itself was so yummy that I tasted it far too many times than needed.

Ingredients:

Firm Tofu - 1 package, drained

Onion - 1 medium, grated

Garlic - 2 cloves, minced

Ground Cumin - 1tbsp

Ground Almonds - ½ cup (I used Almond meal)

Dijon mustard - 1tsp

Soy sauce - 2tbsp

Parsley - ¼ cup, finely chopped

Salt & Pepper - to taste

Spaghetti - 8 oz. (I made whole-wheat spaghetti)

Pasta sauce - home made or store bought - 1 cup

Method:

• Take drained tofu, grated onion, garlic, cumin, almond meal, soy sauce, parsley, mustard, salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Mash with a fork or your fingers until everything is well mixed.
• Make walnut sized balls and set aside.
• Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan. Slowly add the tofu balls and cook until they turn golden brown on all sides.*
• Once done, remove from the pan and set aside.
• In the mean time cook spaghetti according to package directions and heat the pasta sauce and keep ready.
• To serve: Add spaghetti and pasta sauce in the serving bowl and arrange 4-5 tofu balls on the top. Garnish with basil and serve hot.

* It's advisable to cook the tofu balls in batches instead of cramming everything in one shot.