Delicious no-meat recipes for your holiday table.
The Meatball Shop in Manhattan is famous for its meatballs, of course. On a given day you might find a Reuben Ball or a Chicken Cordon Bleu Ball or just a classic beef meatball with tomato sauce.
But surprisingly, some of the restaurant’s most popular and creative dishes don’t contain any meat at all. Topping the list is the vegetarian meatball — a favorite of Michael Chernow, a co-founder of the shop.
“My partner eats the veggie balls every single day without fail,’’ says Daniel Holzman, chef and co-founder. “From a culinary standpoint, they are my favorite meatball. A really good vegetarian meatball that holds together and has a light quality and isn’t super dense tends to be a little more difficult than a regular meatball.”
And while Chef Holzman says he enjoys coming up with new flavor combinations for his meatballs, he most enjoys coming up with new daily market salads, greens, sauces and roast vegetable dishes.
“The vegetable dishes, for me as a chef, are the area where I get to play and have fun,” he says. “All the vegetable dishes change daily, and I get to go to the market and come up with new flavor components, and everything has to taste good together.’’
For Well’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving series, the Meatball Shop is offering three recipes from its new “Meatball Shop Cookbook” that are certain to be the talk of your holiday table. Omnivores and vegetarians alike won’t be thinking about turkey when they gobble down the restaurant’s famous veggie balls topped with a spinach-basil pesto sauce and served with smashed turnips with fresh horseradish on the side.
Visit Well’s interactive recipe collection to see more Vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes; we will be adding new dishes daily.
The Meatball Shop’s
Veggie Balls
The Meatball Shop’s staff eat these around the clock. You’ll often find them at the bar with a big bowl of these and a side of steamed or sautéed spinach. You can also top with Spinach-Basil Pesto. And when it comes to feeding children, this is a great and tasty way to sneak in more veggies.
2 cups lentils
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated rennet-free Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and allow to cool.
2. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the lentils to the vegetable mixture.
3. Add the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and walnuts to the cooled vegetables and lentils and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
5. Roll the mixture into round golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing 1/4 inch of space between the balls and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
6. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.
Yield: About 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs.
The Meatball Shop’s
Spinach-Basil Pesto
This pesto is so simple, and its mild, herbaceous flavor makes it the ideal companion for just about any of the meatballs. While many pesto recipes call for pine nuts, we prefer the flavor (and lower price) of walnuts. Try roughly chopping them to add a nice crunchy texture. We also love this as a healthy party dip, especially because it has no raw garlic — your guests will thank you too! You can swap arugula for spinach if you prefer. Pesto freezes well and will keep for up to three months in the freezer.
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated rennet-free Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.
2. Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water and set close to the sink.
3. Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.
4. Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.
Yield: 4 cups.
The Meatball Shop’s
Smashed Turnips With Fresh Horseradish
Don’t pass turnips by the next time you’re at the market. When they’re cooked right, their earthy flavor is seriously irresistible. At the Meatball Shop, people go crazy for them. The kick from the horseradish brings out the natural sweetness, and the sour cream adds a tangy, rich element.
8 large turnips (about 2 pounds), peeled and quartered
1/2 cup sour cream
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish, or more to taste
2 teaspoons salt
1. Place the turnips in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Drain thoroughly, until completely dry.
2. Place the turnips in a bowl and, while they are still hot, add the sour cream, scallions, horseradish and salt. Mash with a wire whisk or potato masher until well combined but still chunky. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
