Turkey,Kale & Squash Meatballs

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenTurkey,Kale & Squash Meatballs

Skill Level	Intermediate

Preparation Time	15 minutes	Total Time	55 minutes
Servings	24 meatballs (3 meatballs per serving)	Cost Per Serving	$0.93

1 lb (454 g)	Ground Turkey Meat
1/2 cup	Red Onion,small dice
2 cloves	Garlic,minced
1 cup	Kale,roughly chopped
1 cup	Butternut Squash,small dice
2 tbsp	Sage,finely chopped
1 tbsp	Rosemary,finely chopped
1/2 cup	Quick Cooking Oats
1	Egg
1/2 tbsp	Olive Oil
To Taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Butternut Squash Sauce

1/2	Butternut Squash,seeds scooped out
1/2	Lemon,juice and zest
1/4 cup	Greek Yogurt
1/4 tsp	Ground Nutmeg
1 tbsp	Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To Taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Add olive oil to a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, squash, sage, rosemary and cumin. Continue to cook for another 7 minutes or until the squash is soft but not mushy. Add the kale and stir it though, then remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool completely.
Combine the ground turkey with the cooled mixture, the cooking oats and an egg. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Roll out into 1 inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
On another baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place half a butternut squash, flesh side down.
Place both sheets in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the meatballs and set aside to cool. Continue to roast the squash for another 10 minutes or until soft.
Scoop out the squash flesh and blend with the remaining sauce ingredients. Serve with the meatballs.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for turkey squash meatballs

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that is needed to make DNA and to keep red blood cells and nerve cells functioning well. Not getting enough vitamin B12 can lead to your body producing large red blood cells which do not carry oxygen well. This is called megaloblastic anemia. Megaloblastic anemia leads to feeling tired, weak and short of breath.
Foods that come from animals, such as poultry, fish, seafood, meat, eggs and milk products, contain vitamin B12. For this reason, vegetarians, especially vegans, need to be sure they are getting enough vitamin B12. Some breakfast cereals and nutritional yeasts are fortified with vitamin B12, but check labels to be sure. Healthy adults need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day (more if pregnant or breastfeeding). If you have had surgery to your stomach or small intestine, you may need higher doses of vitamin B12 or shots from your doctor. Ask your health care provider before taking supplements.
Absorbing vitamin B12, either from food or supplements, is a 2-step process. First, your stomach acid separates vitamin B12 from the protein it is attached to. Next, vitamin B12 combines with intrinsic factor, a protein made by the stomach, so that it can be absorbed by the body. Pernicious anemia is when vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed because the body does not produce enough intrinsic factor.