Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs Recipe
Eggplant substitutes for bread crumbs in this tasty turkey meatball recipe. Cooked in a chipotle tomato sauce, these gluten free meatballs have a spicy kick. Make these meatballs ahead of time so they can soak up the chipotle flavor. Perfect for any appetizer plate or snack.
Ingredients
Roasted Eggplant:
- 1 eggplant (about 2 lbs)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Sauce:
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 to 1 cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Meatballs:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- Roasted eggplant (see above)
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- Black pepper to taste
Preparation
Roasted Eggplant:
- Roast the eggplant: On a cutting board, slice the eggplant in half lengthwise. With the tip of a knife, score the flesh by making 2 or 3 long cuts. Rotate the eggplant to make another set of cuts to create a diamond pattern. Press on the edges of the halves to open the cuts and sprinkle 1/8 tsp of salt into the cuts. Set aside the eggplant, cut side up, for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 500° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Over the sink, gently squeeze the eggplant to extract the juice. Brush the cut side of each eggplant half with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil. Arrange each half, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour. Let cool for 20 minutes before handling. With a spoon, scoop out the eggplant flesh and discard the skin. Chop the flesh and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and the remaining 1/8 tsp salt and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the roasted eggplant and cook for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is dry. Remove the eggplant from the skillet and set aside.
Sauce:
- Make the sauce: In the same skillet, add the onion and sauté over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and black pepper and reduce heat to low. Meanwhile, in a blender, blend the tomatoes, chipotles, honey, tomato paste and water. Transfer to the skillet with the onion and garlic and stir. Add the rosemary, bay leaves and cook over medium heat partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring often. Discard the bay leaves.
Meatballs:
- Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the turkey, roasted eggplant, cheese, parsley, cilantro, egg white, cumin and black pepper to taste. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450°. In two 12-cup muffin pans, place a teaspoon of tomato sauce in 18 of the muffin cups. With an ice cream scooper, scoop 2 oz of the meat mixture and drop each into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to the skillet and toss gently with the sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 3 meatballs
Per Serving:
- Calories: 214
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Cholesterol: 57mg
- Sodium: 243mg
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 17g
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