If you’re like most Canadians, turkey is a protein you eat twice a year—at Christmas and Thanksgiving.
But with pasture-raised, organic turkey becoming easier to find year-round, there’s no reason why this bird can’t make an appearance more often. Besides being tasty, there are many notable health-related reasons to eat this bird.
First off, turkey meat is high in protein, which helps to keep post meal insulin levels in a healthy range (this means no hormonal dips or spikes).
Turkey meat also houses all 8 B-vitamins, but niacin (B3), in particular, is present in higher amounts and this awesome vitamin enables the body to make various sex and stress-related hormones. (Did that catch your attention?!)
If you’re not yet convinced, pasture-raised animals, including turkey, are said to have a higher ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. A higher omega-3 ratio is what we’re striving for because those fats, most highly concentrated in the brain, play an important role in cognitive and behavioural function.
So if you’re a meat eater who doesn’t mind messing with tradition, try eating some turkey before Thanksgiving this year.
Ingredients
1lb ground turkey, preferably pasture-raised
½ a medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-4oz can chopped green chilies
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chile powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 egg, gently whisked
½ cup of almond meal
Grapeseed oil, for cooking
Salsa, tomato sauce, or hot sauce for serving, optional
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix everything together except the grape seed oil. Mix with your hands until well-combined.
3. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball and set aside on a clean plate.
4. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add a thin layer of grape seed oil and heat until shimmering. Add in some of the meatballs an inch or two apart, making sure not to crowd the pan. Once the meatballs have started to turn golden brown on the side that’s facing down, turn them over and around until they’re lightly browned on the entire surface.
5. Place browned meatballs on a baking tray that has been brushed with grapeseed oil. Bring the pan back up to desired temperature and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Finish cooking the meatball through by baking them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until a thermometer reaches 165°F in the centre of the meatball.
6. Serve with salsa, tomato sauce, or hot sauce, if desired.
