Hoisin & 5 spice Glazed Tofu Shiitake Meatballs

Recipe Notes:
Every now and again I develop a recipe that I am extra excited to share. This is one of them. Using tofu to make meatballs is incredibly simple, and the results are great. Adding shiitake mushroom, shallot, garlic and ginger to the tofu mixture adds a lot of flavour. Then the balls get browed in a pan at which point they definitely become "meaty". 

The meatballs along with the Hoisin & 5 Spice Sauce, really remind me of the meatballs my mum made when I was growing up. I wasn't even thinking about them before hand! I remember hers being a sweet sauce that began with ketchup. It had brown sugar, soy sauce, and I can't remember what else, but we always gobbled them up over rice probably with a simple cooked vegetable like broccoli. The flavours here are a bit different of course, but nostalgic vibes none the less.

Serving Suggestions
I like to eat the meatballs over rice with steamed broccoli. Since these are tofu meatballs, they are a lot lower in fat than a meat based meatball would be. I find the final dish needs an addition of fat just to round everything out. I like to drizzle some sesame oil over top of everything, and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro is nice too. 

I also have served them as finger food (ok toothpick food), simply tossed in the sauce, lined up on a plate and drizzled with sesame mayo, sesame seeds and cilantro. For the mayo I just mixed some sesame oil into vegan mayo until it tasted good, with a bit of water to thin it out a bit. Into a squeeze bottle, a tasty garnish. 

1. Rehydrated dried shiitake mushroom, shallot, garlic and ginger get softened in a pan with a bit of olive oil. This gets mixed together with tofu, cornstarch and "flax egg" (ground flax seed mixed with water).

2. Form the tofu mixture into balls, and then brown in a pan with olive or veg oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat. (I turn on a pot of my 10 minute basmati rice and that's approximately as long as the meatballs take to brown)

3. Add the meatballs to the Hoisin & 5 Spice Sauce to coat. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli, a generous drizzle of sesame oil, lots of sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.