Recipes
Roasted Quinoa, Kale, and Turkey Meatballs
A fresh twist on the classic meatball uses quinoa in place of breadcrumbs and lean ground turkey instead of beef. (Avoid using extra lean ground turkey, lest it dry out your meatball.) If kale’s hearty texture isn’t your thing, sub it out for softer spinach. The flavor of these protein powerballs is out of this world; if you don’t tell it’s actually good for you, we won’t either.
Key Nutrients: Vitamin B3, selenium, vitamin B6, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, phosphorus
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Yield
30 meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds organic lean ground turkey
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup kale, destemmed and chopped
- ½ cup onion, small dice
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup freshly ground Italian Pecorino cheese (2 ounces)
- ½ cup fresh ground Italian Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
- 1 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- ½ tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of red wine, preferably sangiovese based
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, quinoa, cheese, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the eggs and wine. Use your hands to combine lightly but thoroughly.
- Make 2-inch round meatballs (an ice cream scooper can be useful), and place one inch apart on baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned, internal temperature of 165F.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
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Calories280
-
Total fat18g
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Saturated6g
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Trans fat0g
-
Polyunsaturated fat0.3g
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Monounsaturated fat0.4g
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Cholesterol110mg
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Sodium740mg
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Total Carbohydrate6g
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Dietary fiber0g
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Sugar1g
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Added sugar0g
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Protein22g
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Vitamin D0mcg
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Calcium176mg
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Iron2mg
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Potassium48mg