Kale has definitely become the green of the month–well, the year really. And while eating it may seem like you are caving in to the food trends, this hearty green is actually very good for you. It’s packed with health-promoting sulfur compounds, and it has been found to have the greatest antioxidant capacity of all fruits and vegetables. It’s an excellent source of vitamins K, A and C, as well as manganese, and if that’s not enough, the former frowned at green is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and potassium. Stewing (and in the case of this recipe, steaming) kale brings out a subtle sweetness. Beth Fink submitted a recipe for Kale Pesto that she serves with Turkey Meatballs and pasta. It’s a hearty dish–perfect for winter, and so delicious, no one will fault you for hanging with the trendy set.
Turkey Meatballs and Kale Pesto
Meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1c. fine, Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 whole egg, beaten
2 egg whites, beaten
1/3c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4c. flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat broiler.
2. In a large bowl, combine turkey and sausage. Sprinkle bread crumbs over meat and blend in using a large spoon. Add beaten eggs and mix well.
3. Sprinkle cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper over mixture and blend again with spoon.
4. Shape into golfball-size rounds and roll meatballs gently until smooth.
5. Place meatballs in a metal pie tin about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to roll around.
6. Place under broiler until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Shake tin gently two or three times during cooking to expose all sides of meatballs to broiler. (Makes about 20 meatballs.)