Zucchini Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini spaghetti

• 5-6 medium to large zucchini
• 16 ounces brown butter sun-dried tomato marinara sauce
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated, for serving (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil, for serving (optional)

Mozzarella Turkey Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 egg, whisked
• ½ cup almond flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Zucchini spaghetti

1. Prepare zucchini : slice off the ends and cut the zucchini in half crosswise. Run the zucchini through the spiralizer on the thin noodle setting, cutting the noodles every 12-15 inches. Set aside while you prepare the meatballs according to the instructions below.
2. When you're done cooking the meatballs, saute the spiralized zucchini noodles in the same pan for 3-4 minutes, until just soft (you might have to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet). Divide among serving bowls.
3. Top the noodles with marinara .

Mozzarella Turkey Meatballs

1. Combine all of the meatball ingredients except for the olive oil in a large bowl and mix together with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to over work or your meatballs will be tough. with your hands (or a cookie scoop), work the meatballs into small balls about 1"-1½" in diameter and set aside on a platter or baking sheet.
2. Heat a thin layer of olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons) in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Note: I tested which type of pan worked best for cooking the meatballs. In the non-stick pan, the meatballs burned really quickly; In the stainless steel pan, the meatballs stuck like crazy and broke apart; In the cast-iron skillet, the meatballs browned perfectly without sticking.
3. Working in batches, add the meatballs to the oiled pan, about ½" apart. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, watching carefully that the meatballs don't burn. Note: the mozzarella might melt out and brown a bit and this is okay. Rotate and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Rotate one more time and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned on the outside and just cooked in the center. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add more oil to the pan and repeat until you've cooked all the meatballs.
4. Serve on toothpicks as a party appetizer or with zucchini noodles and marinara according to the recipe above.

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Onion bombs!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 clove of garlic finely chopped 

3/4 cup of Ketchup

1/2 cup of crushed saltine crackers

1 slice of bread torn into small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup of shredded cheese (any kind of cheese you like)

1/3 cup of parmesan cheese

optional – meatloaf seasoning packet or any extra spices or herbs that you like

INSTRUCTIONS

Add 1 lb. of ground beef, turkey or pork to a mixing bowl. You can even combine a little beef with pork if you’d like. We just used all ground beef. Mix all of this up with your hands as you would with meatloaf. You want about the same texture as you would with meatloaf as well. If it seems too dry, add a bit more ketchup or a splash of milk. If it feels too wet, add a little more crushed crackers.

Now it’s time to assemble your onion bombs. Start with the largest pair of onion halves. Make a large meatball and place it in one side of the onion half and place the other onion half over the top. Basically squishing the meatball between the 2 onion halves. Continue to fill the rest of the onion halves up with the meat mixture.

Wrap each onion bomb in aluminum foil. You want to have enough room so that you can leave a little twist at the top so you can easily pick them up off the grill because they’re hot! Now it’s time to grill them. Slap these babies on the grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Flip them over on their opposite side and cook an additional 8-10 minutes. 

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Turkey Meatball Spinach Tortellini Soup

5-6 servings
Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

10 oz 93% ground turkey
2 tbsp seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp kosher salt

For the soup:

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 small Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional)
9 oz refrigerated spinach cheese tortellini (Buitoni)fresh ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach
fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for topping

Instructions:

Combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and parmesan cheese. Using your hands, gently mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about 1 tbsp each, you'll get about 20 to 22.

In a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the celery, onion, carrot & garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Add the chicken broth and parmesan rind and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When broth boils, season with black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and gently drop in the meatballs. Cook about 4 minutes.

Add the tortellini and simmer until cooked according to package directions, about 7 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the rind, and add the baby spinach. Stir to combine and serve topped with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

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