by Hannah McClure
WHILE MEATBALLS ARE TRADITIONALLY made with beef and pork, turkey meatballs are a great alternative and provide wonderful flavor to classic meatball dishes. For me, the alternative comes from a beef intolerance. I was in my early twenties when I noticed that every time I ate beef I got extremely sick and had to cut it out of my diet completely. Who
meant that turkey and chicken replaced beef in almost everything. I have since learned to add game and pork; however, for meatballs and burgers, turkey is still king in my kitchen. With a few simple ingredients, you can easily whip up this delicious and healthy dish. I hope you enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS:
1 pound ground turkey (93% is best)
½ cup plus 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs (if you have large or jumbo eggs, use just one and start with less panko)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning of your choice
2 tablespoons greens thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
RICE WITH CORIANDER AND LIME:
1½ cups long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2¼ cups of water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped cilantro
Juice and finely grated zest of a lime
INSTRUCTIONS
In medium bowl, combine turkey, panko, eggs, taco seasoning, scallions and minced garlic until well blended.
Once mixed, pour in 1 tablespoon of meat and roll it into a ball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat until all meat mixture is rolled into meatballs; be sure to leave some space between each meatball.
Bake the meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
While the meatballs cook, prepare the cilantro-lime rice as follows: In a medium skillet, brown the rice in the olive oil over medium heat.
Once the rice begins to brown slightly, add the water, zest and salt.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Add lime juice and cilantro and stir until just combined.
Serve the turkey meatballs over cilantro-lime rice and enjoy!
*Note: Cooled cooked meatballs can be stored in the freezer for future meals for up to three months.
HANNAH MCCLURE is an elderly homemaker and mother of four from Ohio. Gardening, beekeeping, sewing, raising seasonal chickens/pigs and baking/cooking from scratch are some of the things she enjoys about her household chores. Always learning and always running after his little ones.
Find Hannah on Instagram@muddyoakhennhouse.