Vegan Mofo 2013 Day 4: BIG BALLS! (And a Bag-O-Swag)

Now, those are some BIG BALLS!

Dan came home from work last night pestering me about his balls.  He was all, "Hey check out these balls!" and I was like, "Whoa, those are some pretty big balls!"  And he was all, "Yeah, they are pretty big balls!"  And I was like, "Do you want big balls?" And he was all, "Of course I want big balls."  So I was like, "Do you want spicy balls?"  And he was all, "Nahh, not too spicy for my balls." So I was like, "Do you want cheesy balls?" And he was all, "Yeah, I like cheesy balls." So I was like, "Ok.  Do you want crispy balls?" And we was all, "I really like my balls hot and crispy."  So I was like, "Should your balls be soft and squishy on the inside?" And he was all. "Heck yeah, my hot crispy balls should be soft and squishy on the inside!"

Papas Rellenas
Papas Rellenas are stuffed mashed potato balls that are breaded and deep fried.  Yes, that is a real thing! Dan introduced me to these balls after he learned about them from a Cuban bakery near his office.  And while the traditional balls are stuffed with seasoned beef, we decided to make these balls with some Daiya Havarti wedge chunks and taco seasoned TVP.  But just because we used TVP, there really isn't any reason you couldn't put just about any darn thing you want to into the center of these balls.They were pretty easy and fun to make.  I mean, really, who doesn't like to massage and play with warm balls?

For the balls:
8 russet potatoes (about 4-inches in length)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup canola or other mild flavored vegetable oil
1 cup almond, soy or other nondairy milk

To stuff the balls:
1 recipe TVP Taco Meat, prepared
Daiya Havarti Wedge, cut into small chunks

To batter the balls:
1 cup panko style bread crumbs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup almond, soy or other nondairy milk

You will also need oil for frying.

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a baking sheet and arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet.  Poke holes in the potatoes, and bake, uncoverred for about an hour, or until fork tender, and flesh is dry and fluffy.
Remove potatoes from oven and cut in half lengthwise.  Allow to cool completely.
Once potatoes are cool, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Discard the skins. (Or snack on them whiel you are making your balls!)
Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, and oil.  Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes until well combined.  The mixture should be fuffy and sticky, not wet and creamy, so add in the milk a little bit at a time to get the right consistency.

Scoop 1/2 cup of the potato into your hand and form a mashed potato bowl.
Place a couple of chunks of Daiya wedge in the center, then a heaping tablespon of TVP Taco Meat, and a couple more chinks of wedge.

 

Seal the potatoes around the stuffing.
Preheat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350 F.  If you have a deep fat fryer, now is a good time to use it!
In a shallow dish, mix together the panko, flour, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper.
In a seperate shallow dish, place the milk.
Roll the potato ball in the milk to coat, and then into the panko mix to coat.  Then back into the milk and then back into th panko mix one last time.
Carefully place the breaded ball into the hot oil and fry for about 30 seconds, or until golden brown and crispy.
Repeat until all the potato mixture is used.

Yield: 10 balls

Here is a short video tutorial showing you how to shape your balls:

Now for the giveaway!  Check out this bag-o-swag:

Samples, full size products, a coupon for a free Daiya product, a selection of Herbivore Clothing postcards and stickers, a paring knife, buttons, a copy of Amey Matthews adorable Vida Vegan Con 2013 Cook 'Zine, Booda Butter lip balsm (I LOVE THIS STUFF!), and all sorts of other goodies, all packed up in a cute reusable strawberry tote!  Simply follow the prompts in the widget below to enter :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway