Not your mom's meatball stroganoff

Not Your Mom's Meatball Stroganoff

As a kid, this was one of my favorite meals! My siblings and I always requested "white meatballs" for dinner.  My mom, a single parent with 4 kids, had little time for elaborate meals. She made this with a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, ground beef and egg noodles.  In my mind, it was the fanciest dinner and it always delicious!  Because we moved around a lot when we where kids, this meal represents comfort, family and home.  I hope you enjoy the vegan version we have here for you.  It's fancier than the one of my youth but still hits all the comfort buttons.

Ingredients

•  1lb of asparagus monks meats, ground  ( any seitan available will work too)
  
•  1 medium onion, finely chopped, divided in half.
•  ½ cup of bread crumbs 
• .2 cloves of minced garlic 
• 1 tsp of ground pepper 
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley  
• 1tbs of fresh thyme 
• ¼ cup of vital wheat gluten 
• ¼ cup of olive oil- half for meatballs and half for cooking
• ½ lb cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
• ½ cup of red table wine or dry sherry ( whatever you have on hand or pairing with dinner)
• 2 cups of warm vegetable stock
• 2tbs of “butter” 
• 2tbs of flour
• ½ cup vegan sour cream
• 1lb bag of your favorite pasta.  Traditionally, this is served with egg noodles (not vegan) but we like it with rombi or chiocciole.

Directions

•  Preheat the oven to 350.
  
•  Combine ground seitan with half the onion, garlic, bread crumbs, 2tbs of the olive oil, vital wheat gluten, half the parsley, pepper and thyme. 
  
• Mix all these ingredients well and form 1”diameter balls.

• Heat the remaining 2tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over med- high heat.  Add about half the meatballs, you really don’t want to over crowed them.  Shake and turn until browned all around, about 5-7 minutes.  
  
• Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20minutes.  This will help the balls stay together.  When done pull out and leave on counter to cool.
• In the same skillet add the 2tbs of butter, allow to melt and then add the rest of the onions.  Cook until translucent, stirring often, a good 5 minutes. 
• Add the sliced mushrooms and cook making sure to turn and flip so both sides are allowed to really sweat.  Stirring until most the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour around the entire skillet and mix into the mushroom onion mix really well really.
• Pour wine or sherry in to the skillet and stir in quickly.  It should get really thick. 
• Slowly pour in the stock mixing 1 cup in at a time.  Keep stirring while gravy starts to thicken up, bring to a slow boil.
• Transfer the “meatballs” to the gravy and gently stir to coat all the balls.  You can reduce the heat here to low.
• Stir in the vegan “ sour cream”, and evenly mix into the gravy.
• Salt and pepper to taste. 
• Serve over pasta and top with a sprinkle of the remaining parsley.