A less traditional take on meatballs

By Metro Creative

Few foods are as beloved as meatballs. Men, women and children alike typically love meatballs, whether those meatballs are served atop a steaming plate of pasta or on a hero in the form of a meatball sandwich.

While many cooks include both ground beef and ground pork in their meatballs, that does not mean home chefs cannot experiment if they are so inclined. Some cooks might want to experiment with their meatball recipes out of curiosity, while others might want to improve the nutritional value of meatballs by altering some of their key ingredients. Such is the case with the following recipe for “Turkey-Spinach Meatballs With Tomato Sauce” from Marla Heller’s “The Everyday Dash Diet Cookbook: Over 150 Fresh and Delicious Recipes to Speed Weight Loss, Lower Blood Pressure, and Prevent Diabetes” (Grand Central). Though not a traditional meatball recipe, this recipe is both tasty and nutritious, with one serving of 3 meatballs and sauce totaling roughly 250 calories.

Turkey-Spinach Meatballs With Tomato Sauce

Makes 6 servings

Turkey-Spinach Meatballs

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid

1 medium yellow onion, shredded on the large holes of a box grater

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs, made from day-old bread pulsed in the blender

2 large egg whites, or ¼ cup seasoned liquid egg substitute

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1¼ pounds ground turkey

½ cup water

Olive oil in a pump sprayer

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

To make the meatballs:

In a large bowl, mix the spinach, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, egg whites, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the ground turkey and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to firm the mixture and make it easier to handle.

Roll the turkey mixture into 18 meatballs. Spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. In batches, add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the water to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring up the browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.

To make the sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the liquid from the skillet, the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and hot pepper; combine thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Bury the meatballs in the sauce and cook until the meatballs show no sign of pink when pierced to the center with the tip of a sharp knife, about 15 minutes more. Divide the meatballs and sauce among 6 bowls, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan (if using), and serve hot.