I have a bulldog in a tutu passed out on her dog bed and a 1-year-old passed out in a lady bug costume in her crib. It’s pouring rain, the sun is completely MIA for the day, and I made chili for lunch with no clue as to what’s for dinner. After an active 90 minutes of tennis this morning, it has been a really off day, topped off with a 39-0 Illini loss today.
Not my ideal Saturday. But, at least I wasn’t in pursuit of all of the sugar in the world like so many kiddos. Though, the rain won’t keep them all at bay. P.S. Happy Halloween!
With an exam Monday morning, a day trip to Chicago tomorrow for a baby shower, and my huge cooking demo on Tuesday evening, I have zero desire or inspiration to cook. I’m not planning a weekly menu. I’m on strike for my mental health and well-being. I think it’ll be a “fend for yourself”, make a sandwich, or clear out the freezer kind of a week.
I say it like it’s a bad thing, but it sounds rather nice. I made 3 trips in 2 days to the grocery store for work and I just don’t want to head back…even if I have the cutest of company.
Last week, I made these Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs. My coworker had sounded off the idea of a zucchini meatball for the holiday cooking demo event. I loved the idea and I quickly landed on this recipe. They looked easy and healthy and definitely delicious. Seeing as I didn’t feel comfortable preparing and serving a recipe to 125 people I’d never tried before, I made them for dinner and asked for opinions from my toughest critic: Mr. Prevention.
Not only did Mr. P like the meatballs, he even requested the zoodles to accompany. The baby loved the meatballs, too…though, I didn’t find that surprising in the least. She’s my little carnivore. This zucchini-packed meal was light, bright, and very tasty. These meatballs can double as an appetizer or entrée, and could even be served on a sub bun!
- 2 lbs ground turkey breast
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup zucchini, finely grated, drained, and packed
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ to ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ground turkey, olive oil, minced garlic, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, zucchini, and onion. Using your hands mix the meat mixture until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Scoop two tablespoon sized balls of meat from the mix, roll into a firm ball, and place on prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining meat.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they're evenly brown and cooked though.
- Meanwhile, warm the oil for the sauce in a large saucepan over medium-heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When meatballs are done baking, add them to the sauce, stir to coat, and serve.
To make the zoodles, saute 2 tomatoes in 1-2 teaspoons of oil. Add a few cloves of minced garlic and a bit of salt and pepper. Add about ½ cup dry white wine and simmer to reduce for ~5 minutes. Add zoodles and heat through. Serve hot.
This sounds delish!
I am just getting into zoodles, lately. How funny that Miss S is a carnivore. My littlest dude is a committed vegetarian. It’s crazy! He even hates BACON. I’m not even sure he’s mine.
I think I’ll give this a try, maybe he’ll deign to eat a little of it – I know the rest of us will enjoy!
Why is nothing said about making the zoodles? Like using a certain peeler to get the zucchini to look like noodles, etc. etc.
Please reply. Ann.
Author
Hi Ann, the information on the zoodles is in the recipe notes. 🙂 Hope that helps!
I am just searching such a recipe and this is one of my favorite recipe ever. Much more times I make it for breakfast and evening snacks. This zucchini meatball gives us more pleasure and enjoyed so much with this recipe. Thanks for sharing this.