Meatballs are present at everything from fancy cocktail parties to rowdy football tailgates. Everyone loves a meatball! (Even vegans make “meatballs” out of lentils.) They are always a popular hors d’oeuvre and these Turkey Quinoa Meatballs can also be easily made ahead and reheated.
In this Turkey Quinoa Meatball recipe, I sub the superfood whole grain quinoa in place of the typical binder of breadcrumbs, leaner ground turkey for the traditional beef, and they are baked instead of fried. The results are lighter, healthier, and more nutritionally dense than most meatballs — and absolutely delicious.
This issue also shares
- The Best Life Living Tip: Exercising your brain and intellectual well-being.
- The Self-Care Technique: Whole grains for better get up and go!
- Ideas and Inspiration: Loving Asheville from Afar
Read on for more — including my recipe for BBQ Turkey Quinoa Meatballs.
Best Life Living Tip
There are 8 dimensions of well-being: Physical, Environmental, Financial, Emotional, Occupational, Spiritual, and Intellectual.
Recently, I featured “Stress-crafting” to relieve the pressure of everyday stress. It’s important to keep your brain sharp by learning new skills or hobbies.
We think about exercising our muscles. We also need to exercise our brains! By maintaining intellectual wellness throughout your life, you can stimulate new connections, promote creativity, and create a happier, healthier life.
Try puzzles, read a book, learn a new language, or take online courses to stimulate your cognitive abilities and well-being.
Continuous learning keeps your mind sharp and can be incredibly fulfilling. Engage in activities that challenge your thinking and memory to effectively stimulate your mind, preserve memory, and improve concentration.
For more information, check out this great piece from Harvard on Intellectual Well-Being.
Self-Care Technique
Eating whole grains should be a major part of your self-care routine and menu planning. Want more get up and go? You need more whole grains in your diet.
- Whole-grain foods help control cholesterol levels, weight, and blood pressure.
- Whole-grain foods also help lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.
- Whole grains are high in fiber and have the highest protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. Protein, along with fiber, helps quell hunger and make us feel full
If you’re envisioning a dry, dull “rabbit food” then think again. Popcorn is a whole grain. Oatmeal can be a whole grain. Flavorful grains such as amaranth, quinoa, and wild rice are also whole grains.
Plus, you can “sneak” whole grains into your diet or “go halfsies.”
- Use cooked small-sized whole grains instead of breadcrumbs as with these Turkey Quinoa Meatballs.
- When baking, sub out 1/2 the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour.
- When cooking pasta, replace half of the refined product with a whole-grain product. (Make sure to start cooking it a few minutes earlier.)
Want more info on whole grains? Check out this piece from the American Heart Association.
And, remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. As long as you are doing what is good and good for you more often than not, you are heading in the right direction!
You can do it.
Ideas and Inspiration
Let’s keep Asheville in our sights. The community coming together is certainly inspirational and here are some ideas on how you can help. They’ve launched “Love Asheville from Afar,” a page dedicated to helping local businesses.
Local, independent businesses are the heart of Asheville, home to growers who are artists and artists whose work grows. Thought leaders and thought provokers, musicians and storytellers, entrepreneurs and educators, foodies and beer lovers, hippies, healers, adventurers, creators and innovators. We craft and brew and paint and carve, handcrafted by real hands. Real hands that need a helping hand. And a hug.
Many, many communities are completely devasted and parts of Asheville still don’t have water or power over two weeks after the storm. The devastation is immense. Let’s do what we can to help them rebuild.
Point it Out
Thanks for reading! Quinoa has been cultivated in the Andes Mountains of South America for over 3000 years. Want more info? Check out what the Cleveland Clinic has to say about this super grain.
You’re going to love these Turkey Quinoa Meatballs. SO good and has less than 200 calories per serving. Serve them this weekend for your tailgate or a simple Saturday night supper.
My go-to storebought BBQ sauce is an unsweetened sauce by Primal Kitchen. It’s tangy, has great flavor, and is made from wholesome ingredients. Love it!
Make sure to sign up for this free newsletter and check out my events page for upcoming book signings and demos!
Bon Appétit Y’all!
Virginia Willis
Turkey Quinoa Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 clove garlic very finely chopped
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened BBQ sauce preferably Primal Kitchen
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Set an ovenproof rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place the onions in a ramekin or microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium power until soft and translucent, about 25 seconds. Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the turkey, onion, quinoa, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine with a rubber spatula. (To taste and adjust for seasoning, simply cook a teaspoon or so of the mixture in the microwave.)
- To form the meatballs, using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure, scoop out the meat mixture and roll into a ball about the size of a walnut. Place onto the prepared rack. Repeat until all the meat mixture is used up. Transfer to the oven and cook until firm and the temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. (These can be made ahead up to this point and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
- Using a spatula, transfer the meatballs to a medium ovenproof baking dish. Pour over the barbecue sauce and shake the pan a bit to roll and coat the meatballs in the sauce.
- Serve immediately or return to the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve with toothpicks or skewers.
Nutrition
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