Cranberry Jerk Meatballs and Herbed Mashed Potatoes

This Cranberry Jerk Meatballs and Herbed Mashed Potatoes recipe is the epitome of comfort food in a bowl. Homemade meatballs are slowly cooked (in a slow cooker) in a savory sauce made from cranberries jerk seasoning, and maple syrup. The perfect dish for any time of the day.

Cranberry Jerk Meatballs and Herbed Mashed Potatoes [Vegan]

Ingredients

For Mashed Potatoes:

• 3-4 large Russet baking potatoes, peeled + diced (See Notes!)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled + smashed
• 3-4 Tablespoons vegan butter and 1 Tablespoon, if needed!
• 1/3 cup Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk!)
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried chives
• 1 Tablespoon dried parsley

Vegan Meatballs:

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 3/4-1 cup bread crumbs (See Notes!)
• 1 flax 'egg'  (See Notes!)
• 3 garlic cloves, diced small
• 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt + black pepper
• 1-2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil, for cooking

Cranberry Jerk Sauce:

• 3-4 Tablespoons jerk seasoning
• 1-2 cups cranberry compote/topping (See Notes!)
• 1/2 cup fresh water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (See Notes!)
• 2-3 Tablespoons dry white cooking wine

Preparation

For the Cranberry Jerk Meatballs:

1. Combine the quinoa, chickpeas, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, flax ‘egg’, bread crumbs, smoked paprika, dried parsley, sea salt and black pepper in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are processed and well combined. Now, form mixture into small to medium sized meatballs, rolling them up quickly with your hands to ensure that everything sticks together well. Repeat until all mixture is used.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil to a skillet on medium-high heat and add meatballs to heat until a nice brown crust forms on the cooked side, turning them over until all sides are brown. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Carefully add the meatballs to baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until they begin to brown at the edges.
5. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, turn on your slow cooker to it’s highest setting.
7. Add all of the sauce ingredients to the slow cooker, stirring everything together until well combined. Add in meatballs and spoon a bit of the sauce from around the meatballs to cover them.
8. Cover and let everything slow cook + simmer on high for about 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure that desired thickness is kept for the sauce. **NOTE: Try not to stir the meatballs too much so that they don't fall apart.**
9. In the meantime, make the mashed potatoes.

For Mashed Potatoes:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add peeled + diced potatoes and garlic to the boiling water. Cook for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Once fully cooked through, drain potatoes from water and add them to a large bowl, mashing them with a stainless steel potato masher (or fork) until fully broken down.
3. Once mashed, add vegan butter and herbs, stirring them in until fully melted and potatoes become creamy. Set aside.
4. Once timer has ended, sauce is thickened, and meatballs are soft and cooked through, turn off slow cooker or keep it on the “keep warm” setting until ready to serve.
5. To Serve, add mashed potatoes to a plate or bowl and top with cranberry jerk meatballs. Add dried parsley for garnish, if desired.
6. Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Re-heat when ready to serve. NO-BOIL MASHED POTATOES: To cook them alternatively without boiling—place potatoes on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and lightly dress them with grapeseed oil. Bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender and knife goes through each potato smoothly. Once done, remove from oven and continue recipe. SWEETENER: If you choose to opt out of pure maple syrup, you can always substitute with Agave as well. CRANBERRY COMPTE: Combine 2 cup organic cranberries, 1/2 cup organic pure can sugar, and 1/4 cup water into a medium pot on medium-high heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Ensure that you stir all ingredients together well. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and let simmer until cranberries are softened and ‘bursting’. Once cranberries are fully cooked and ‘sauce-like’/thickened, remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. FLAX ‘EGG’: Combine 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds + 3 Tablespoons warm water and whisk until well combined. Let sit for 10 minutes. HOMEMADE BREADCRUMBS: To make your own breadcrumbs, simply grind 1-2 cups of cubed gluten-free bread into a food processor until finely chopped. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 5-6 minutes in the oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Once brown + crisp, remove from oven and let cool. Continue recipe steps and store remaining breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed container.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/cranberry-jerk-meatballs-and-herbed-mashed-potatoes-vegan/