TURKEY MEATBALLS: if you're trying to avoid red meat, turkey is a great lower fat source of protein and a good source of iron (though not as high as red meat). Plus it's high in selenium which is helpful for your immune system and is a powerful antioxidant. These meatballs are tasty without adding egg or salt & pepper - they get flavour and added goodness from the kale, carrot and onion.
TURKEY MEATBALLS
Ingredients: (makes 30, 1 in x 1 in)
600 grams minced turkey breast (make sure you purchase the breast meat as the dark meat is higher in saturated fat)
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup kale, chopped finely - loosely packed
1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced finely
1/2 cup homemade wholegrain or brown breadcrumbs
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well with a fork. Form into meatballs and place on a baking tray in oven at 180ºC for 20 minutes.
Serve with curry yogurt sauce: Mix 1/2 cup low fat natural yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon curry powder.
LAMB MEATBALLS are higher in iron than turkey (note: iron from animal sources is more easily absorbed). And iron deficiency can be an issue for many women. Also, lamb is a good source of protein and has a variety of vitamins & minerals, particularly zinc which is an important mineral for growing children. Try to get lean lamb though as it can be high in saturated fat. *If you have the butcher mince the lamb for you, you will know which cut you are receiving - you can select the less fatty meat. And, in lamb, more of the fat surrounds the meat than is actually in the grain, so you can try to cut out more of the fat before it's minced.
Ingredients:
454g minced lamb*
1 small onion, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
2 twists of freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
You can grill or bake these. If you are grilling, soak skewers in water. If baking, this isn’t necessary as meatballs will be put onto skewers after cooking, but pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan oven.
Grate onion (watch your eyes!) and carrot.
Place vegetables into a large bowl with the minced lamb.
Add the paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Use a fork to mix very well.
Use your (clean!) hands to roll tablespoon size meatballs.
Place them in a baking dish and cook in the oven for 15 minutes. Or, place 3-4 meatballs on a skewer and grill, turning a few times, for about 10 minutes.
Check that meatballs are thoroughly cooked by cutting one in half to be sure it’s not pink in the middle.
Serve with Apricot Yogurt Dip: Blend or whisk 1/2 cup low-fat natural yogurt and 2 teaspoons Apricot Jam.