Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

The vegan eggplant meatballs we made for the challenge were a hit.  They were too moist when we first made them and I think the flavor developed over time.  Cooking them twice made them a little drier so while I'm including the original recipe we followed here, my advice is to cook them for significantly longer (maybe at a lower temperature).

The only change we made from the original recipe found on Gina's Skinny Recipe blog (http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/05/vegan-eggplant-meatballs.html#more) was that we made it into 24 balls instead of 12.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 can cannelini beans
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup breadcrumbs 

Heat the oven to 375°. Place 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When hot add the eggplant and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the skillet with the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add to the food processor along with the drained beans and parsley and pulse until well combined and chopped, but not pureed.  (We used a stick blender which pureed them).

Combine the mixture with the breadcrumbs. Roll into 24 meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake until firm and browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.