Vegetarian Spaghetti and Meatballs

I’m not a vegetarian. I really like meat. But what I am is a raging diabetic…. Type 2. Because of this I do try to eat as healthy as I can. This means sometimes I eat a dinner that’s meatless. Sometimes it’s a big salad, but sometimes I want something else a little more substantial. I try to have an intake of a lot of fiber, but I’m not slavishly counting calories either. In the summer months I like to eat meals that are lighter than the hearty and heavier ones that I have in winter. This is one such dish….

I start off with some of my long term storage food items. My “meatballs” today are made from Black Bean Burger Mix. There’s plenty of salt in this so I don’t find that I need to add any more.

https://www.amazon.com/Augason-Farms-Gluten-Free-Black-Burger/dp/B01NAVJ1UW/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qxEGbRjzBTGA5ktJqKp62_tfIVmszLKA28x7qtdKe4W2REhA2vmv3zVBI4J1Xgy69H6kNx2W2E8tg8720SqR4tLMsNKK8C-SuxXKt7U-zHbrJDktotxPaaTj23qfWJD5m5_xh78xJDARM3kaOkU_OrpjBivMOK2QlzCFuV70foqSCBNy-7t9PeM9lzehONSuFstmJm8VL-OFWXSZcKG28w.VvzryUkUb-WSx8bvmVx2dK9da4hKX7pCKMUeu3fohro&dib_tag=se&hvadid=693925368195&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9002597&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=14012695473484710858--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14012695473484710858&hvtargid=kwd-1155072854847&hydadcr=2867_13541357&keywords=black%2Bbean%2Bburger%2Baugason&mcid=4189c582a5bf373cbe3d7bbeecfd26de&qid=1758827131&sr=8-3&th=1

In my mixing bowl. I put in 1/2 cup of black bean mix, a dash of turmeric, some fresh ground black pepper, and a touch of minced garlic. Stir these ingredients together and add 6 tablespoons of warm water. Stir this well and let it sit and soak up water for 10 minutes or so.

I form this mix into several small meatballs. I dust them lightly with finely chopped walnuts.

I chop plenty of walnuts to save some for the noodles too.

I bake my meatballs in an air fryer at 400*F for 5 minutes, and flip them over. I bake them for 5 more minutes for a total of about 10 minutes. Once they are done baking, I lightly sautee them in a frying pan on the stove top until they are browned in olive oil.

Zucchini noodles take the place of pasta. Here’s the kicker. I blanch them in a pot of boiling water on the stovetop just like pasta, but only for about a minute or two at the most. Any longer than that and zucchini turns into a soggy mess. The best part of all is there’s no carbohydrates in this to spike my blood sugar. Remember — I mentioned I’m diabetic.

After spreading the noodles out on the plate, I add the rest of the crushed walnuts, and chunks of goat cheese. Yeah, the dish is NOT totally vegetarian but I did say I’m not a vegetarian either.

I really like goat cheese (chèvre). I add some raw minced garlic, turmeric, black pepper, herbs de provenance, and place the meatballs on top. I preheated some spicy marinara on top and warm this for 30 seconds in the microwave. This dish probably ain’t for everybody, but it is what it is. It’s quick to make too — taking maybe 15 minutes total. It’s light on my stomach and doesn’t weigh me down if I scarf up an entire plate of it.