Turkey Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash & Tuscan Kale Pesto
This is an excerpt from my new book, The Thyroid Connection. Order your copy today!
Turkey is a good source of selenium, which helps support your thyroid. In the meal plan in The Thyroid Connection, I placed this recipe after the Wild-Caught Salmon with Zucchini Noodle Pesto and Garlic Butternut Squash so that you will already have made the pesto. If you are not following the meal plan, just make the pesto fresh for this meal.
Turkey Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash & Tuscan Kale Pesto
Course:
Protocol:
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 spaghetti squash large, cut in half lengthwise and seeds discarded
- 2 Tbsp 29.57 ml coconut oil
Meatballs
- 1 1/2 lb 681.00 g ground turkey or 1 pound ground turkey and 1⁄2 pound ground pork
- 2 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 onion finely diced
- 1 1/2 tsp 7.39 ml turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp 7.39 ml ground ginger
- 1 tsp 4.93 ml rosemary
- 1/4 tsp 1.23 ml sea salt
- 1/4 tsp 1.23 ml ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp 29.57 ml coconut oil
- 1/4 cup 60.00 ml bone broth or water
- 3/4 cup 180.00 ml Tuscan Kale Pesto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. rub the edge of the squash that will be touch- ing the baking sheet, with coconut oil. Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet or oven-safe glass dish and bake for about 35 minutes, until soft.
- While squash is baking, put meat, garlic, onions, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mash ingredients together to incorporate spices into meat. Form into 12 medium meatballs or 24 small meatballs.
- Heat coconut oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping to brown all sides. Add broth or water and cook covered over medium heat for another 3 to 5 minutes, until cooked through.
- When squash is soft to touch with an oven mitt, remove from the oven and let cool, turning cut-side up with tongs or oven mitt. When cooled enough, scoop out squash with a spoon and divide among serving plates. If you are not using all right away, store in a covered glass container (see resources on page 359) in the refrigerator. Top squash with meatballs and dollops of pesto.