Round abouts the holiday season, Trader Joe’s stopped carrying our favorite frozen vegan meatballs. Initially, I thought it was just on account of making room for holiday goods, but alas they’re GONE. Apparently there’s an issue with the supplier, but sometimes I think that’s just something they say to pacify a disappointed customer. Those things were awesome. Since then we’ve tried others and have only found disappointment. And some are darn expensive. Especially with a five year old that can eat her weight in meatballs. So, we did what every self respecting foodie does: we made our own! They’re definitely not gluten free, as one of the primary ingredients is vital wheat gluten. If you happen to have a gluten-free recipe you like, please let us know! We would love to give it a try. So given that this is a gluten-fortified recipe, take care not to over mix it. More mixing means tough meatballs and nobody likes that. If you do happen to overdo it, a good soak in some red sauce will do the trick. Here are a few great recipes to keep your meatballs company:

Vegan Meatballs

Six to eight servings

About an hour to prepare

Adapted from For Reals Life

Ingredients 1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. tempeh

6 oz. fresh spinach, chopped

1 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup marinara sauce

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. dried fennel