Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 15: Zucchini and Turkey Meatballs

Zucchini and Turkey Meatballs

By:  Kurt Flehinger

Adding Zucchini to a traditional meatball adds moisture and, particularly for parents whose kids don’t want to eat their vegetables, a sneaky way to get them in the diet.  

The Ingredients

1 medium zucchini (roughly 8 oz.)

1 pound ground turkey

1 medium red onion

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs or textured vegetable protein

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg 

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 c. chopped parsley (for garnish)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

2 c. chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 tsp. salt 

fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grate zucchini and 1/2 of the red onion on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl.
3. Crush or mince garlic clove and add to bowl.
4. Add the spices and mix all of the ingredients well.
5. Add the ground turkey and breadcrumbs (or textured vegetable protein) and mix just until combined.  Don’t over mix or meatballs will become tough.
6. Place bowl in refrigerator for thirty minutes to firm up.
7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.  With wet hands, form the meat mixture into meatballs that are each 2-3 tbsp.  Drizzle the meatballs with a little olive oil.
8. Roast for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the baking pan halfway through roasting and turn the meatballs.
9. While the meatballs are roasting you can prepare the gravy.
10. Mince the remaining 1/2 red onion.
11. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in large skillet over medium heat.
12. Add minced onions and cook until translucent.
13. Sprinkle flour over the onions and cook just until flour begins to tan, approximately 2 minutes.
14. Slowly add the stock and cook until the gravy thickens.
15. Remove the cooked meatballs to a serving dish and pour gravy over them.  Sprinkle with parsley.

In addition to this being a great way to add vegetables to your diet, using the textured vegetable protein instead of breadcrumbs adds an additional 14 grams of protein to the meal.