Recipe Card
This is one of my favorite high protein - low
fat recipes.
Southwestern Meatballs
Serves 4 as a meal or 10-12 as a hors
d'oeuvre.
- 1 lb meatballs*
- 12 oz can black beans, drained and
rinsed
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 red pepper, diced small
- 1 small onion, diced small
- ½ jalapeno, diced small
- ½ cup salsa
- 2 T chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup Low Sodium/No Fat Beef
Broth (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
*You can either make the meatballs from
scratch (see below) or you can buy pre-made
turkey or beef meatballs. The pre-made
meatballs will be higher in sodium and
fat.
- Beef & Turkey Meatballs
- ½ lb 97% or higher lean
ground beef
- ½ lb ground turkey
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Roll into grape or gumball sized balls
and stick on a broiling pan (flat pan
with slats in it allowing fat to drain
away from food) in preheated 350' oven.
Cook for 30 minutes or until outsides
are browned and juices run clear.
In a food processor or blender, grind
the beans until almost pureed, leaving
a few chunks. Set aside.
In a medium saucepot, spray the bottom
of your pan with Pam to prevent sticking.
Add the peppers, onion, garlic, and jalapeno
and cook on medium heat until almost
soft, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the black beans and the salsa, stirring
frequently in the beginning. If the consistency
is too thick for your taste, you may
add a little beef broth, or more salsa
to thin a bit.
Add meatballs and heat thoroughly.
These meatballs make a great hors d'oeuvre
or a meal when served over brown rice,
barley, or better yet, quinoa*. This
is quick, easy, high in protein, and
surprisingly delicious!
*Quinoa is a "super grain" that is a
complete protein, very easy to cook and
tastes great. It is available in most
health food stores, such as Whole Foods
Markets, Trader Joe's, and Wild Oats.
In addition to recipes, I will also
feature Fantastic Food Finds! This
will highlight a particular food, ingredient,
or company that tastes great, is super
easy to make or get, and meets the needs
of the weight loss surgery patient.
This edition's Fantastic Food Find is
a product called Healthy Solutions
Spice Blends . You can read about
them at www.spiceblends.com and
search for stores that sell them in your
area. Each of theses spice blends are
designed for the person who doesn't have
time to cook or doesn't know how to cook.
They are free of any artificial ingredients;
fillers, preservatives, and most of their
blends have little or NO salt or sugar
making them a healthy choice for the
WLS patient. Each packet comes with a
quick and easy to follow recipe right
on the back with multiple cooking methods
(stove, grill, oven, microwave, etc).
They really take the guesswork out of
preparing a healthy high protein meal
that your whole family will enjoy!
This is a local NH company and if you
fill out their online survey they will
send you a FREE sample to try.
If you have a Fantastic Food Find that
you would like to share, please email
me at [email protected] and
I will check it out and possibly print
it in the next edition of the newsletter.
Here's to healthy eating!
Pamela A. Shefcik
|