Caribbean Meatball Papaya Stew

Caribbean Meatball Papaya Stew

This recipe is fantastic.  It has all the flavors you would

expect in a Caribbean stew.  Both the meatballs and the stew have

that smokiness from the cumin and slight sweetness from the papaya.  If papaya

is hard to find in your area, you may substitute it with another fruit, such as

pineapple, mango, or honeydew.  You can also use ground meat, such as

beef, lamb, or turkey, in this recipe.  But at some point, these Caribbean-style 

meatballs are a sure definite to make.  

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp curry powder

4 TBS tomato paste

2 cups red skin potatoes, cubed

4 cups beef broth

meatballs:  See recipe

1 cup black beans

2 cups papaya, cubed

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.  In a large dutch oven pot, heat 2 TBS cooking oil on med/high heat.  Stir in peppers and onions.  Cook for 5 mins.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in garlic and spices and cook for another 2 mins.  Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 2 mins.  

2.  Add potatoes and broth.  Reduce temperature to med/low.  Cook for 20 mins or until potatoes are

 done.   

3.  Add meatballs, beans, papaya, and cilantro.  Stir, carefully not to break meatballs.  Simmer for 8-10  mins.

Caribbean Meatballs:

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, seasoned

1 egg, beaten

1 TBS Tamari (soy sauce)

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp onion powder

3 TBS cilantro leaves, chopped fine

1 lb ground beef, lean

Directions for meatballs:

1.  In a medium-size bowl, add crumbs, egg, and soy sauce.  Stir to blend together.  Let sit for 10 mins.

2.  Add spices to bowl, stir together.  Fold beef into bread mixture.  Roll into 1-inch balls

3.  Heat a skillet with cooking oil.  Drop meatballs into the hot oil.  Brown on all sides, approx. 5-6 mins.

Plant Based Stroganoff

 While creating this dish for a challenge, I had to use Impossible burger meat.  I knew this would be easy for me since I love this Plant-Based product.  Many times I would prefer a vegan burger over a regular beef burger.  Now, the funny part is I love bacon on my vegan burger.  So you see, it's about the taste which I enjoy, not the fact that I choose to eat vegan food.  Now, for this challenge, I thought, "who most likely would be eating plant-based meat?"  Well, besides me, who likes the taste, it would be someone who also might be omitting other ingredients from their diets, such as dairy, egg, or gluten.  

Vegan Meaball Stroganoff 

Pasta Ingredients:

1 flaxseed egg: See recipe below

1 cup cassava flour

1/4 tsp xantham gum

1/4 tsp turmeric, for color

3 TBS olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

Meatball Ingredients:

1 TBS flaxseed egg

1 tsp onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp parsley, chopped fine

1/2 tsp basil, chopped fine

1 TBS nutritional yeast

2 TBS toasted pine nuts, ground (optional)

12 ozs impossible meat

Stroganoff Sauce Ingredients:

3 TBS meatball drippings

1 cup onion, chopped

4 ozs mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 ozs English peas

4 TBS nutritional yeast

1 TBS parsley, chopped fine

1 can coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

Directions for Pasta:

1.  In a mixer, add dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Add wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are blended and form into a ball.  Remove the dough from the mixer.  Divide the dough in half.  Wrap unused dough in plastic wrap.  Make pasta according to directions on manufacturers' instructions.  Pasta may also be hand-rolled and hand-cut into long strips.  Use extra flour to keep the pasta from sticking together.  

Cooking pasta:  Boil water in a medium-size pot.  Cook pasta for only 1-2 mins.  Drain and immediately at to your sauce.  Note:  You can also use any store-bought pasta of your choice.  

Directions for meatballs:

1.  Mix all ingredients (except meat) in a medium-size bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Fold meat to incorporate other ingredients.  Roll into mini size meatballs.  (Keeping hands moist with water will help with the rolling).

Fry the meatballs in a non-stick skillet with olive oil, until brown on all sides, approx. 5 mins.  Remove meatballs from the skillet—Reserve 3 TBS of the oil for sauce.  

Directions for sauce:

1.  In the skillet, add the reserved oil.  Stir in the onions and mushrooms.  Saute or 5 mins.  Stir in the garlic, peas, nutritional yeast, and parsley.  Saute for 3 mins.  Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 5 mins.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  Stir.  Add the meatballs into the sauce.  Let it simmer for an additional 5 mins.  

Serve with pasta.  Top with fresh parsley and scallions.

How to make flaxseed eggs:  For this recipe, you will need two flaxseed eggs, divided.

Mix 2 TBS flaxseed flour with 5 TBS water.  Let sit for 10 mins.  Divided in half.  

Garnish: Parsley and Scallions