Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Who doesn't love the comfort of spaghetti and meatballs?! This meatball recipe is a leaner, healthier version, and yet it's still tasty, so you don't feel like you're missing out on the typical beef and veal meatballs.

Serve these meatballs with pasta and sauce of choice, or eat them as is for a great protein appetizer along with a salad. The choices are endless!

Yield: Approx. 16 small meatballs

Difficulty Level: Easy-Medium

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Marinate (optional): 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: Under 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond flour, 2 tablespoons water

1 pound lean ground turkey ( I used 93/7 lean to fat ratio )

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, rough chop to break it down

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoon ketchup

1 egg

3 tablespoons olive oil

Small bowl of water for smoothing out the meatballs

Instructions:

Combine the almond flour and water in a small bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes for the flour to hydrate. This allows the flour to more smoothly blend without leaving any grittiness.

Add all remaining ingredients except the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the hydrated almond flour and combine all ingredients together. Do not over mix otherwise it will start to get sticky the end result will yield a more tougher meatball.

Form golf size meatballs. Either a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon will do. Keep the small bowl of water next to you, and smooth out the texture by dipping your fingers into the water and gently smoothing out the meat. Place the meatball on a plate. Repeat this process until all the meatballs are complete. Place the plate in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (optional) to allow for marination and firming.

Heat only half the oil in a skillet on medium high this process will be done in two *batches. When oil is heated add half the meatballs and cook about 1-2 minutes on each side, gently turning sides with a spoon and fork so the meatball stays intact. *Brown all sides and cook until internal temperature is 160F. Remove the meatballs and set aside on a clean plate.

Add remaining oil and repeat the process with the second batch.

*My Tips:

• Why cook in batches - If you overcrowd the skillet you won't get the browning on the meat, but rather it will steam instead. Therefore there needs to be enough space between each meatball to allow the air to pass and each side to brown in the oil.

• If adding the meatballs to a sauce then do not overcook on the skillet as the meat will become too tough. Once each side has browned the meatballs can be added to the pasta sauce and finish cooking in the sauce. Cooking on a low simmer in the sauce for a few minutes will yield a moist inside.