Turkey and Spinach Meatballs with Tahini and Chimichurri

Amarante

Wed, Jul 12 2023, 9:08 pm

Molly Yeh is a Chinese Jewish girl who married an egg farmer in the Midwest. Her food is an interesting fusion of Chinese, Jewish and Midwestern flavors.

These meatballs were very good - and can be frozen

Turkey and Spinach Meatballs with Tahini and Chimichurri

Makes 22-24 meatballs
Ingredients

Meatballs

2 tb olive oil, plus more for cooking meatballs
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
8 oz fresh spinach, chopped
1 large egg
1/2 c (30g) matzo meal (or panko breadcrumbs)
Black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)

Tahini Sauce

1/4 c tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tb water
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Chimichurri

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 c (100g) olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425ºf.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel and cook for another minute and then add the spinach in batches, stirring, until wilted.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the egg, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, a few turns of black pepper, the onion powder, cayenne, thyme, oregano, paprika, parsley, turkey, and the slightly cooled spinach mixture and use your hands to mix to combine.

Wipe out the skillet that was used to heat the spinach and then heat a thin layer of olive oil over medium high heat. Form the turkey mixture into golfball-sized balls and brown them on all sides, in 2 or 3 batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate. Once all of the meatballs are browned, return them to the skillet and stick the skillet in the oven for 7-10 minutes, until they’re cooked through and have an internal temperature of 160ºf.

To make the tahini sauce, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, and water until smooth and pourable. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water, if it’s runny, add more tahini. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the chimichurri, combine all ingredients in a food processor, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and blend until smooth. If you don’t want to use a food processor, you can also chop the herbs and garlic finely by hand and mix with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

To serve, spread a large dollop of tahini sauce on a plate or shallow bowl, top with meatballs and drizzle on the chimichurri to taste. Enjoy!