Kendra's Treats

I know everyone’s ready to jump into pumpkin-everything with both feet, but I’ve got one last zucchini recipe for you…and it’s my favorite one yet! Everyone knows the key to great burgers is fat, which is why my turkey burgers with extra-lean ground turkey had always been dry, tough, and lacking flavor. I had all but given up until a few months ago, when I made some greek turkey burgers with zucchini and they were a-mazing (unfortunately I never got any pictures, so they never made it to the blog…maybe soon!). The shredded zucchini kept the burgers juicy and tender. I’ve been hooked ever since! Turns out you don’t need fat to make great burgers. I decided to use that same concept for turkey meatballs, and the result was the best meatballs I’ve ever made! They were so flavorful, tender, and juicy. And did I mention low-fat and super healthy? Yeah, that too =). The first day I ate them over zoodles with marinara sauce and the second day I tossed them in some pesto. Both ways were delicious. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs

1 pound extra lean ground turkey
1 egg white
2 tbsp seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
5-1/2 oz grated zucchini (should have ~4-1/2 oz after squeezing excess water out)
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
2. In mixing bowl, combine ingredients and stir until combined. Using a 2 tbsp scoop, form mixture into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and fully cooked. Serve plain or with marinara sauce, pesto, shredded cheese, fresh basil, etc. Makes 20 meatballs.

Nutritional Info (per meatball): 30 calories; 0.4 g fat; 0.7 g carbohydrates; 0.1 g fiber; 5.5 g protein.