Welcome to episode 3 of “Discomforts in the Kitchen”, another video where I of challenging myself to make a food I am not used to making.
The goal of today’s video was to try to make a dupe of Sol Cuisine’s Moussaka “Meatballs”. I had seen these disappear out of grocery stores a few years ago, but they have been sorely missed by me. I decided why not try to make them!
*This video is not a recipe video* , rather is more of a food exploration/improvisation journey. I’ve tried to remember to state what things I put in for you to try to recreate this/use as inspiration, and maybe one day I will try to make an actual recipe, but I wanted to share more of the behind the scenes stuff about cooking. I find so rarely do people show the recipe testing process/how they craft their own recipes.
I want this video to serve as a reminder (even if just for myself) of how fun it can be to share cooking adventures with someone. Cooking is usually a solitary activity for me, aside from getting my partner to taste test the things I make.
I also like to show some of the less perfect sides of cooking. Cooking can be full of little mistakes, lots of winging it, correcting, and finding ways to make things work for you.
_Let me know if you have any suggestions on what I should try next!_
_Thank you so much to my awesome friend for joining me for this video, teaching me how to make breadcrumbs, and doing a bunch of little taste tests with me! I had such a fun time doing this with you, and appreciate you so much!_
*Some links/sources I used from inspiration (I am NOT affiliated with any of these links. Just sharing because they helped me on this journey!):*
1. This video showcases the Greek style balls I was trying to create:
“Review: Sol Cuisine “Greek Moussaka” Meatballs! (vegan)” from @WorldOfARandomVegan https://youtu.be/nOum-JqcJv8?si=1I8-CokCznDhWXbc
2. I used this video to try to sort of some of the Greek flavours/seasonings used:
“NEW – First Vegan Lamb Product in the Market – Greek Moussaka Meatballs” from @NaturalhealthcareCa https://youtu.be/3-XiNGeB6Rg?si=7EsZhmtcs5a2sHYm
3. The cookbook I used to guide how I cooked the eggplant is “Craving Vegan” by Sam Turnbull. Cookbooks by Sam Turnbull • It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken (itdoesnttastelikechicken.com). So far every single thing I have tried some this book has been awesome. We also used her method with cucumber in the Tzatziki Easy Vegan Tzatziki • It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken (itdoesnttastelikechicken.com)
4. The hummus and tzatziki recipes we used were from Roni’s Kitchen Cookbook, which can be found here: Roni’s Kitchen Cookbook – Roni’s Kitchen (roniskitchen.com)
5. For inspiration for how to try to make the “meatballs”, I used several recipes online, including:
a. Vegan Greek-Style Roast “Lamb” (Kleftiko) https://www.mouthwateringvegan.com/2016/09/02/vegan-greek-style-roast-lamb-kleftiko/
b. Moussaka (Greek Beef and Eggplant Lasagna) https://www.recipetineats.com/moussaka-greek-eggplant-beef-bake/
c. Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) With Lemon Sauce https://www.themediterraneandish.com/greek-meatballs-recipe-keftedes-lemon-sauce/
*Timestamps:*
00:00 Intro
01:42 Sol Meatballs ingredients review
07:13 Eggplant and Olive oil tip
10:05 trying Marmite
14:31 reviewing what I put in the sauce to add to the eggplant while cooking it
15:36 review of eggplant cooking process
16:16 trying soy curls/planning how to use them for the “meatballs”
17:37 trying the cooked eggplant
18:46 adding ingredients to make the meatballs
20:30 trying the meatball mixture before baking
21:09 Trying to figure out how to get the meatballs to bind well (flour? Egg replacer?
22:09 trying the first test batch
22:44 making breadcrumbs
23:27 review of how the meatballs were cooked
24:01 taste test of meatballs plain & general review of how things turned out
26:20 Greek bowl assembled
26:38 Trying the bowl with the balls/ final thoughts