Before this recipe, meatballs were strictly Italian. They were served with marinara and pasta and that was that. However, I saw this recipe and having exhausted myself on Italian food recently, decided to give it a try.

And? Wow. These meatballs are SO good. The coconut cream adds a ton of moisture and the flavor is subtle and not overpowering. I served these meatballs with stir fried veggies and butternut squash gnocchi and I’ve been eating the leftovers (happily) for days. The flavor just seems to get better and better. Here is the recipe for the meatballs, hope you enjoy!

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INGREDIENTS:

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (I used this one)
• 2/3 cup coconut cream
• 2/3 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

for the red curry sauce:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion (sliced thin)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 2 Tbsp red thai curry paste
• 1 can coconut milk (regular, full fat) 
• handful of spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil or coconut oil
3. In a large bowl, combine turkey, coconut cream, eggs, red curry paste, panko and salt.
4. Using your hands, form the meatballs and place them onto a greased cookie sheet
5. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min or until golden brown around the edges.
6. For the red curry sauce:
   1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat pan with 1-2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
   2. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant
   3. Add tomatoes and saute 2 minutes
   4. Add any veggies of your choice (I used broccoli, asparagus, bok choy and peppers) and saute for a few more minutes until vegetables seem cooked but not fully cooked.
   5. Add 1 can of coconut milk and bring it to a simmer
   6. Whisk in 2-3 tbsp red curry paste. 2 tbsp will be a lighter flavor whereas 3 will be a stronger flavor
   7. Add coconut aminos or soy sauce and stir to combine
   8. Set heat to low and add in spinach leaves, stirring until they are wilted.
7. Add in meatballs and let simmer for 2 more minutes to let the flavors meld