Italian Garden Meatballs

By Bailey1_

These meatballs are heavy on the veggies, and an Italian-seasoned variation on the Garden Meatballs in the Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook.
Serves 6 as a meal
All phases
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 1/3 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 4 green onions, finely chopped, white and green parts
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 cups trimmed chopped kale (about 1 pound)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, quinoa, parsley, basil, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 garlic cloves, and egg whites in a large bowl; mix gently just until combined. Working with damp hands, shape the turkey mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each). Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are just cooked through (take care not to overbake).

Meanwhile, heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the broth, shallots, and celery; sauté 5 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons of broth and the remaining 4 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add the kale, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes or until the kale is tender. When the meatballs are done, add them to soup and heat through. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. Serve with lemon, if desired.

This recipe was adapted from Cooking Light magazine.
Italian Garden Meatballs

These meatballs are heavy on the veggies, and an Italian-seasoned variation on the Garden Meatballs in the Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook.
Serves 6 as a meal
All phases
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 1/3 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
4 green onions, finely chopped, white and green parts
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. With dampened palms, roll the meat mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs and transfer them to a 9-by-13��nch baking dish or a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve warm or room temperature. These meatballs also freeze well.