Turkey Meatballs

Healthy baked turkey meatballs that will just melt in your mouth! 

Turkey meatballs are one of the easiest recipes ever! I usually end up making these when I meal prep at least a few times a month… This recipe will make about a dozen meatballs, but I usually double the recipe if I decide to meal prep. I’ll make one big ol’ batch of meatballs and I am set!

You’ll see that I often choose to use ground turkey instead of beef. I prefer using ground turkey because it’s inexpensive, lean, and can be easily influenced flavor-wise based on the number of spices and herbs you put into it.

Since ground turkey is naturally mild in flavor, spices and herbs are key to making a juicy and tender meatball. For this recipe, everyday spices and herbs like parsley, coriander, and ground mustard are incorporated to create a classic meatball that can be used in all kinds of recipes, whether it’s for your basic spaghetti and meatballs, or as an appetizer for a large party. I choose to bake the meatballs rather than pan fry to make them a healthier option. I also find that baking them saves me time because I don’t have to keep a close watch, endlessly worrying if I’m burning them!

If you are wanting to make these turkey meatballs for your meal prep, consider adding them to 100% whole wheat pasta, bean-based pasta, or zoodles! Simply spiralize zucchini to create noodles, add your meatballs, and top it all off with some organic no-sugar-added pasta sauce and cooked mushrooms. Before I seal my meal prep containers, I like to sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top to provide a cheesy flavor component!

Tips for making your meatballs super moist:

• Make sure each meatball are equal in size to ensure they cook evenly.

• Fresh herbs are best! Using dry parsley will not provide the same amount of flavor compared to fresh parsley; trust me, it’s a game changer!

• Don’t overmix! Since ground turkey is a leaner meat, overmixing your ingredients can make the meatballs tough. I prefer using my hands to mix the ingredients.

Want to make these turkey meatballs ahead of time for an event? Freeze them! To freeze the turkey meatballs, follow the recipe as normal and then let them cool. Once cooled, add meatballs to a freezer Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer for up to one month. You can thaw them by moving them to the refrigerator. You could reheat the meatballs by microwave, but I prefer using the oven by setting it to 375 degrees and baking the meatballs for about 15 to 20 minutes.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Healthy baked turkey meatballs that will just melt in your mouth! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground turkey

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (I use the Schar brand)

• Small handful fresh curly leaf parsley (finely chopped)

• Half small red onion

• Squeeze ½ lemon

• 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground pepper

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp ground mustard

• 1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic and onions until aromatic and the onions are translucent.

3. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl along with the cooked onions and garlic.

4. Using your hands, mix ingredients until fully incorporated but remember to not overmix.

5. Form meatball mixture into golf-sized balls. You can use a cookie scooper to help you measure out the mixture.

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place meatballs on top.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes and then flip them for an additional 10 minutes or until fully cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

NOTES

1. This recipe makes about 12-16 meatballs. Consider doubling the recipe if you are meal prepping!

2. Spiralizer

3. Glass containers for meal prep

Salsa Verde

Easy to make salsa verde with avocado salsa verde option. Just roast tomatillos and jalapenos and blend with a few ingredients to make the perfect salsa verde. 

Out of any salsa variations, salsa verde is my absolute favorite! There is just something about the winning combination of the tanginess from the tomatillos to the fresh hints of lime and cilantro that really butters my biscuits! Unfortunately, most restaurants and grocery stores do not provide a cleaner version of salsa verde -- they’re usually filled with high amounts of sodium and preservatives. That is why I created this guilt-free salsa verde so I can continue eating as much salsa as my heart desires!

This is a recipe that relies heavily on fresh produce, and, especially, in this case, fresh tomatillos.  For tomatillos, it can be hard sometimes to distinguish the good from the bad because a tomatillo is wrapped in a papery husk. When you are choosing, look for small, firm tomatillos with tight-fitting husks.

Inside that papery husk is a bright green fruit with a fresh, almost citrusy flavor! The tartness can be a little overwhelming, so for this recipe, it is best to roast them. Roasting the tomatillos will bring a smoky and sweet flavor to the salsa, pairing perfectly with the garlic and cilantro.

Salsa verde obviously goes well with chips, but you can definitely (and should!) get creative with adding salsa to other food! Verde salsa goes well with anything classic red salsa would go with, so think morning eggs, burritos, or my sweet potato hash breakfast skillet recipe.

Here’s another suggestion - you can make this salsa verde creamy using avocados. Sometimes when I meal prep, I’ll make both versions of the salsa because I like having options! Simply add one avocado to the blender, which will give the salsa a wonderful richness in addition to the creamy texture. Check out the recipe below!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Easy to make salsa verde with avocado salsa verde option. Just roast tomatillos and jalapenos and blend with a few ingredients to make the perfect salsa verde. 

INGREDIENTS

• 12 medium tomatillos (husked, cleaned and dried)

• 1 fresh jalapeno

• 1/2 small white onion

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1/2 lime squeezed

• 1/2 tsp salt

• S&P for taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place tomatillos and jalapeno onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Turn the oven on Broil - low. Broil on one side for 4-6 minute and 4-6 minutes on the other side until you see splotchy black spots. (Keep an eye on them!)

2. Let them cool and add to a processor along with the onion, cilantro, garlic, lime, and salt. (If you are wanting less spicy salsa, take the seeds out of the jalapeno first).

3. Blend until smooth but slightly chunky consistency.

4. Season to taste with additional S&P and/or lime juice.

5. Avocado verde salsa - In the processor, add 1 ripe avocado and blend until desired consistency.

NOTES

1. The salsa may appear thin but will thicken after it has been chilled in the refrigerator. Tomatillos contain pectin which is a natural thickening agent.

2. Store in the fridge for up to a week. If you are making this recipe with avocados, store in the fridge for up to three days.

3. Both the verde salsa and avocado salsa freezes beautifully. Just add your cooled salsa batch to a freezer bag and freeze for up to one month. When you are ready to use the salsa, thaw in the refrigerator until ready to use!

4. Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate
   

Strawberry Fields Salad

This spring salad was featured in Bliss Women Magazine. Their mission is to make women's health and well-being a priority. Check out their website to learn more!

Spring is finally here!

The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the sunshine lasts longer. I always look forward to the weather becoming warmer and our frozen world coming back to life.  The spring is a gentle reminder that seasons do not last forever and that eventually, flowers will begin to bloom again. How can this reawakening of a flower relate to our story as women? Are you currently stuck in a career that does not allow for growth? Do you want to get your health back on track but don’t know where to start?  Just like a flower emerging from its winter slumber, so can we as women come into a new season of life. It might take some hard work and sacrifice, but with time you will begin to see the fruition of your efforts and fulfillment of your goals.

Not only do flowers bloom but so does spring produce! In-season produce reaps the most nutritional value so look for these fruits and veggies at your local farmer’s market or produce aisle:

Strawberries

Asparagus

Radishes

Peas

Rhubarb

Arugula

Beets

Fava beans

Artichokes

Avocados

Citrus Fruits

Fresh herbs

What better way to incorporate these ingredients than to make a spring salad! Salads are a super-convenient way to get in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit into your diet. Salads can also be fun, colorful and full of great texture.

For this healthy recipe, I have created a vegetarian style salad with most of these spring ingredients that contain healthy fats, protein and complex carbohydrates that will keep you satisfied.

This winning strawberry fields salad is complex in flavor, yet super simple to make. It provides just the right amount of sweetness from the strawberries and honey balsamic vinaigrette, nuttiness from the pecans, creaminess from the avocado and goat cheese, tartness from the green apples, and spiciness from the arugula and radishes.  The honey balsamic vinaigrette pairs beautifully with the contrasting flavors and textures of the salad.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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This strawberry fields salad will become your new go-to salad for the spring! Made with fresh spring produce and a bright honey balsamic vinaigrette. A vegetarian and gluten-free option! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup pecan halves

• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar

• 1 tsp coconut oil

• 1 cup strawberries (sliced)

• 1 large handful fresh mixed greens

• 1 small handful fresh arugula

• 2 Tbsp goat cheese (crumbled)

• 1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves

• 1/2 cup carrots (shredded)

• 1/2 granny smith apple (sliced)

• 1/4 cup radishes (sliced)

• 1/2 cup fresh snow peas

• 1/2 avocado (sliced

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/2 lemon with zest

• 2 Tbsp balsamic vineger

• 1 Tbsp EVOO

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1/4 tsp dijon mustard

• salt and pepper to season

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix coconut oil and sugar together and add pecans. Toss until thoroughly coated. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Cook for 5-10 minutes on one side and then flip them and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

4. While the pecans are roasting, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients until corporated. Give it a test taste. If you like it sweeter, add a touch more honey. If you like more vinegar, add a touch more balsamic.

5. Toss dressing with the salad and top with avocado and coconut sugar roasted pecans.

Classic Healthy Chicken Salad

My healthy take on the classic chicken salad is loaded with nutrient dense fruits and veggies as well as healthy fats that will keep you full all day long without weighing you down! 

Make your busy life manageable with this quick and healthy classic chicken salad that is sure to fill you up and save you time and money!When I worked at a spa in West Georgia, I would grab lunch at Chicken Salad Chick and get their amazing chicken salad that was quick and super refreshing. Sometimes, I would indulge and get the not-so-healthy chicken salad options. Nonetheless, everything was amazing and I miss it dearly! Now that I live in Kentucky where unfortunately Chicken Salad Chicken does not exist, I make my own chicken salad at home, saving time and money. With this recipe, all is good in the world!

My healthy take on the classic chicken salad is loaded with nutrient dense fruits and veggies as well as healthy fats that will keep you full all day long without weighing you down!There are many ways to prepare chicken salad, but for this recipe, I have found that red onions, carrots, granny smith apples, sunflower seeds, and grapes are the perfect classic combination. As far as seasonings go, I keep it simple but use fresh herbs like dill and smoked paprika which I believe separates my classic chicken salad from the rest!

You can use whatever creamy component you prefer depending on your allergies/preferences. I have tested this recipe with avocados, vegan mayonnaise, and greek yogurt, so you are good on all fronts if you would like to change things up. Additionally, you can either shred the chicken or dice them. I prefer dicing as it saves a little bit of time and I appreciate the texture. Now, onto the recipe!

This recipe makes 4-6 servings and is a good choice if you want to meal prep it for the week. I like to use chicken salad for sandwiches, pairing it with tomato slices, mixed greens, alfalfa sprouts, and pickles on 100% whole grain bread.  You can also add it to a salad or even have it as a snack with crackers!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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My healthy take on the classic chicken salad is loaded with nutrient dense fruits and veggies as well as healthy fats that will keep you full all day long without weighing you down! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

• 1 Tbsp poultry and citrus seasoning

• 1/2 lemon with zest

• 1/2 small red onion (diced)

• 1/2 granny smith apple (diced)

• 1 cup fresh dill (chopped) (less or more depending on preference)

• 2 carrots (shredded)

• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup grapes (halved)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Primal Kitchen or Just Mayo) (or use greek yogurt or ripe avocado)

Garnish

Micro greens, pickles, alfalfa sprouts, mixed greens, slices of tomato

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Prep chicken by seasoning with poultry and citrus seasoning and s&p.

2. Grill chicken on both sides for about 3-5 minutes or until brown and completely cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet; let chicken rest and cool.

3. Add the remainder of the ingredients to a large bowl.

4. Dice chicken after it has cooled (or shred with two forks if you prefer!)

5. Add chicken to large bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix until fully combined.

6. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to one week.

NOTES

1. If you are using avocados in place of mayonnaise, the fridge life will be shorter as avocados brown in the fridge.

2. You can cut down the time to make this salad even faster by using rotisserie chicken instead of grilling chicken as well as purchase pre-shredded carrots instead of shredding by hand.

3. I have recently noticed that Walmart does not carry the organic poultry and citrus seasoning anymore so I have used this brand instead.