Classic Healthy Recipe- Albondigas

As I started to eat healthy I realized I wanted to make my Mom’s classic recipe but in a way that would fit my healthy goals. The original recipe calls for ground beef but I try to limit my red meat intake as much as possible. So in this recipe you will use either ground chicken or ground LEAN turkey.

This recipe is my way of still eating what I want but in a healthier version! I don’t really measure anything and just do it by eye, you know how your mom or grandma cooks. LOL

Classic Healthy Recipe-Albondigas

Ingredients:

• Tomato
• Onion
• Garlic Clove
• Oregano
• Olive oil
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ground Lean Turkey Packet  (I use Jennie O)
• Carb Element (Whole Pasta, Brown Rice, White Rice, Red potatoes)
• White Rice (small handful)
• 1 Egg
• Celery (4-5 stalks)
• Squash (3-4)
• Carrots (3 or 4 medium size)

Serving size: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45-55 minutes

 

 

Step 1: Making the Broth

You will need filtered water, 1 tomato, 1/4 of an onion, oregano, and 1 garlic clove. You will be putting all of this in a blender and making sure its a smooth consistency. I have a ninja and fill up the water until the line says *maximum liquid*. You can always adjust the water if you feel you need more water. Pour blended mixture into a pot, put a little olive oil and put on medium heat.

Step 2: Making the Meatballs

You will need more oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, small handful of rice, 1 egg, and of course ground Lean Turkey. If I have Flavor god I usually use the Italian Seasoning to add for flavor. You can really add any special seasoning you like for flavor. As you noticed I’m not very specific on how much of each seasoning because its really based on preference and its not a big deal if you put too little or even too much.  Mix all ingredients with your hands (you can use gloves) and make sure you mix well. Start to grab small pieces of the mixture to roll into small balls. As you make the small balls, drop them into the broth you have on the stove.  Repeat until all of your ground turkey is gone! Add extra seasoning for flavor like onion powder, garlic powder or any Italian seasoning you may have.  Cover the pot and leave on medium heat.

Step 3: Adding Veggies

I love adding squash, carrots, and celery to my Albondigas. I cut them into small square pieces and add them to the broth after the meatballs have been on the stove for about 10 minutes or however long it takes for me to cut all the veggies up.  I always add the squash towards the end because if you throw it in there at the beginning, the squash gets really mushy.

Step 4: Adding Carbs

Choose which carb element you would like to add and make it on the side. Once the Albondigas are done you can measure how much carbs you want and add it to your bowl. I like using brown rice spaghetti pasta because it reminds me of my Mom’s fideo (classic soup recipe I can share later).

How do I know if the meatballs are fully cooked?

You want to look at the meatballs and make sure the rice in the meatball is fully sprouted. If the rice still looks like it may not be fully cooked yet you want to let it sit longer. You can also test one meatball by cutting it in half to look at the center to make sure it’s fully cooked through, not pink in the middle, and rice fully sprouted.

 

And there you have it, HEALTHY ALBONDIGAS

Once served I always add LIME and a little salt since I didn’t really add any salt in the recipe. Some people like to add some spice to it with Tapatio, Valentina, or even some homemade salsa.

I love turning some of my Mom’s recipes and giving them a healthy twist. I will be featuring more SIMPLE recipes with a healthy twist, so make sure to Subscribe!

Thank you for reading!

It’s been real.

XOXO,

Liz-Laugh-Love