FOOOOOOOD!

I like to eat. Y’all know that. But, man, I have been eating things lately that are totally not conducive to waking up the next day feeling perky and cute.

And so, today I begin this next phase of my life in food: eating things that make me feel good even the next day.

When I made these turkey meatballs earlier this week, the biggest mistake I made was adding pasta to the slow cooker just an hour into the six-hour cook time. I should’ve cooked the pasta separately and just spooned the deliciousness over it. Lesson learned (not that I’ll be pasta-ing it up any time soon – eating mostly-clean means no more normal pasta).

Anyway, here’s what went into making the magical turkey meatballs…

1.5-ish lbs. ground turkey
1.5 cups ground flax seeds (more or less, depending on how it looks when you start mixing)
1 egg, beaten
1 medium onion, minced or grated
A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce or ketchup if you need a little more moisture
Italian seasonings, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together, mixing enough to incorporate but not so much that it starts looking like gross paste.

Use a soup spoon or similar to scoop up enough for a golf ball-sized meatball. Should make about 22.

Set aside in the refrigerator.

In slow-cooker, combine 1 can of low sodium tomato paste, 1.5 pints halved mini heirloom tomatoes, 1 lb. diced roma tomatoes, and all the juices from the chopping board that happen when you cut these things up. Tear in a handful of fresh basil, a little dried oregano, salt and pepper, and probably three or four cups of water.

Stir it all up, place meatballs gently in the mixture, and let it all cook on low for six hours (or more if you’ll be sleeping/out of the house for longer). Garnish with fresh grated parm or asiago if you’re so inclined.

I ate these with pasta – super full and heavy feeling – but then I ate them again without pasta and felt AMAZING!

If you don’t have a slow-cooker, or want more immediate gratification, cook all the sauce ingredients down until reduced by half, then add meatballs, and cook for another 35 minutes on medium.

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