By Ana Maria Salaverry, community health worker
Recipe of the month: Turkey meatballs with creamy Thai curry sauce
Are you ready for turkey this month? Here is a great recipe that gives a creamy, spicy twist to turkey. It includes ingredients that provide health benefits for your body, including fresh basil, garlic, ginger, and coconut milk. Use this recipe now or save it for the day after Thanksgiving!
Ingredients for the meatballs:
2 lbs. ground organic turkey
1 packed cup fresh basil, finely chopped
6 green onions, finely chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp. fish sauce
sea salt to taste
1 tbsp. avocado oil
Cooking instructions:
Mix together all ingredients, except the avocado oil, in a large bowl to create a uniform meatball mixture, then form small meatballs. Put the avocado oil in a skillet and let it melt and coat the bottom, then place the meatballs in the skillet. Cook for five minutes. Transfer them to a plate, covered with a paper towel, to allow the excess fat to drain.
Ingredients for the Thai curry sauce:
3 1/3 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp. green curry paste
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tbsp. ground white pepper
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. fish sauce
Cooking instructions:
Simmer ½ cup coconut milk over medium heat and cook until it begins to bubble. Spoon in the green curry paste and whisk together with the rest of the coconut milk. Add the ground ginger and pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and add the lime juice and fish sauce. Reduce heat and let the sauce simmer until it has thickened, about five minutes.
Transfer the browned meatballs to the sauce and bring to a simmer until they are cooked. Serve the meatballs with a generous spoon of the sauce. Serve it with quinoa and fall vegetables to make a complete meal that is healthy and in season, just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Tip: Garnish the meatballs with extra green onion, cilantro, and basil to create a beautiful presentation for this tasty dish. Remember to honor the Thanksgiving season and think of everything you are grateful for as you enjoy this meal!