Though I was not raised vegetarian, I have been a no-meat eater and an animal rights activist all of my adult life.
Even so, there are times when I am passing a restaurant where some meat dish or other is being prepared, and the aroma surrounds me, and my taste buds remember what my convictions have long denied.
Meat balls. Remember them? Well, so does my tummy, and so do my salivary glands. So, I had to find the way, because I certainly had the will.
Just so that none of you who are already vegetarians and others who may want to consider joining our number will not embarrass yourselves as I nearly did, by drooling all over a shopping center parking lot, if there happens to be a steak house or an Italian restaurant nearby, I have gone to some effort to satisfy all of us in this matter of meatball withdrawal.
Bean croquettes are just as tasty. These may be served with a variety of artificially flavored gravies, or even tomato sauce. I selected turkey flavored gravy to offer to you, because that's the way I cooked this dish for my mom, who is my taster-tester, and she said, "Put this one in the cookbook." So I'm giving you a preview.
I served the croquettes with Tagliatelle, a wide, flat pasta, long, like spaghetti.
Enjoy, and let us know if you like this dish, too.
Tagliatelle With Faux Turkey-Flavored Bean Croquettes
- One package Tagliatelle pasta
- One 16 oz can of vegetarian baked beans
- One envelope of meatless gravy, (turkey flavored)
- One and 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- One 8 oz can of tomato sauce (meatless)
- Two cups of bread crumbs
- One cup of flour
- One teaspoon of garlic powder
- One teaspoon of oregano
- Two teaspoons of vegetable oil
- Three tablespoons of grated cheese (Parmesan)
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning
Open the can of baked beans, and crush them. Add oil to the mixture, and stir. Add the bread crumbs, flour, shredded cheese, grated cheese together, blend well. Add the tomato sauce, salt, taco seasoning, pepper, garlic powder, oregano. Mix into a firm paste. Form them into croquettes. (If you want to call them meatless meat balls, you may. Why not?) Chill the croquettes for half an hour. Following this, marinate them in the turkey-flavored gravy for half an hour. While you are doing this, boil the Tagliatelle to al dente consistency. Serve the croquettes and gravy on a bed of Tagliatelle.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: About 1 hour