Lamb & Eggplant Meatballs w/ Turmeric Yogurt Sauce
Summer is around the corner, and eggplant is in season! Typically, I don’t like eggplant unless it’s breaded… but when I created this recipe OMG… I fell in love with eggplant as a healthy ingredient during pregnancy... and now for my pregnant, or hoping to get pregnant friends and clients. Let’s talk about Eggplant and Pregnancy:
When you’re making a baby you want to make sure the baby’s brain, heart and lungs are as healthy and developed as possible. That means your baby needs lots of help developing and protecting their rapidly growing cells.
Your doc probably told you to eat an iron rich diet, or take supplements, because iron helps to bring oxygen to your and baby’s cells… but did s/he mention eating eggplant? Oh yes, eggplant is an iron chelator. Yup. It holds on to iron.
Research on eggplant has focused on an anthocyanin phytonutrient found in eggplant skin called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage.
Okay, so why do I use lamb (or grass-fed beef) instead of turkey or pork? Well, another important element in healthy baby-making is OMEGA-3’s. Your doctor may have told you that taking fish oil before, during and after pregnancy is vital (both for mother and father!)… but did you know that organic, grass-fed beef & LAMB is the richest in OMEGA-3 of all the red meat? Yup. News to me too.
Last healthy token – TUMERIC IS HEAVEN for pregnant women (and everyone else). It’s got brain boosting, heart-healthy, allergy fighting, immunity fortifying, anti-inflamitory POWER! Swollen ankles be gone 🙂
So enough of the nutrition lesson, let’s make these delicious, life-changing & growing, meatballs!
What you’ll need for the meatballs:
1 pound ground grass-fed organic beef or lamb
1 farm fresh egg
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumb
1/4 cup pre-cooked and cooled organic quinoa
1 organic eggplant – skin removed and cut into chunks
1/4 cup onion diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of each: cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, turmeric
1 teaspoon dill
2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Step 1: Cook onion and eggplant in olive oil until caramelized.
Step 2: Blend caramelized onion & eggplant together in blender until no chunks are left. Let cool.
Step 3: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and make golfball sized balls.
Step 4: Bake 350 for 18 – 22 mins, until just cooked through.
What you’ll need for the yogurt sauce:
1 cup greek yogurt plain
1 tablespoons chopped dill (stems removed)
1/2 – 1 whole teaspoon garlic powder (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 Kirby cucumber
Pinch of salt and pepper
Step 5: Blend all yogurt ingredients together and serve with the meatballs.
Even if you're not pregnant or trying, this recipe is high in protein, gluten free, filled with cell-healing nutrients, and DELICIOUS!!
Enjoy!
Love & yum,
Lindz
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