turkey-zucchini meatballs
Ya’ll, these meatballs turned out so good and I was so hungry, that I did not take a picture. So to be transparent, the thumbnail is a stock photo. Sorry to burst y’all’s bubble.
These are easy to make. The trick is to bake them at a high oven temp - 425 for 20 min. If you cook them at a lower temp for longer, they dry out. I got this idea from a friend of mine who made beef & pork meatballs and her recipe gave her this tidbit. She’s the one who told me about increasing the oven temp for cooking. One word: magic.
I am really into herbs right now; I have many planted in my garden and I feel like they add lightness, freshness and flavor that reminds me of spring. Zucchini and turkey are fairly mild flavors so I really encourage you to play with the herb mixture.
The eggs and flour in this recipe help hold the meatballs together. But one note about texture: after cooking, these produced a residue on my cooking stone that was rather odd. I used organic, white turkey meat, so I am not sure what this was.; I wouldn’t think there was enough fat in the meat to produce this. I really hope this doesn’t deter anyone from trying this recipe. Honestly, I used turkey because I had it in the freezer (Corona-quarantine, you know) so if you use beef, pork, lamb or a combination thereof, you might not get the residue.
Ingredients:
2 c. (2 small) grated zucchini
1 lb. ground, organic turkey meat
1/2 Tbs salt
Various herbs rinsed and chopped to equal a packed 1/4 cup. I used Italian parsley, cilantro and sage leaves
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 eggs
3 Tbs flax seeds
2 Tbs almond flour
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Note: I had to use my hands to get this fully mixed. Roll into balls or use an ice cream scoop to create meatballs 3 inches in diameter. This makes about 15 balls.
Bake on a cookie sheet, jellyroll pan or pizza stone for 20 min at 425.