Finding JOY in Movement!

Looking for a quick, easy, flavorful, high-protein weeknight dinner?

Try this Turkey Meatball and Turmeric Roasted Chickpeas recipe.

If you’d like to read more about how I came up with this, why protein is so important (especially for menopausal women), or how to round out this meal with premade ingredients from Trader Joe’s, scroll down to read my notes at the bottom.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

You will need a large bowl, and a sheet pan or cookie sheet.

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup full fat, unsweetened yogurt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix together all ingredients.
3. Roll into balls (about 1.5 inches, I ended up with 12 meatballs).
4. Spread meatballs out onto a cookie sheet.
5. Roast for 15 – 20 minutes.

Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

You will need another large bowl, a colander, and a sheet pan.

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and dried
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a colander, rinse and drain chickpeas.
3. Lovingly pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
4. Mix with cumin, turmeric, cumin, onion, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Spread peas out on a cookie sheet (give them plenty of space).
6. Roast for 30 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup yogurt
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper
• Optional chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill, mint…)

Whisk together 1 cup of yogurt with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and any spices or fresh herbs you like (garlic, dill, parsley, mint).

This recipe is cobbled together from a few different recipes. Smitten Kitchen suggests cooking the peas and meatballs together on one sheet pan. While I love the idea of having one less pan to wash, I found I was better able to control the cooking times and crunchiness of the peas when I cooked the meatballs and chickpeas separately. Love and Lemons suggests drying your chickpeas thoroughly to make them crispy.

These half-size sheet pans from Rose’s Equipment and Supply are perfect for this recipe. I also use these pans for roasting vegetables because there’s enough room to spread everything out (veggies like to have plenty of space when they are roasting) and the edges of the pans are low enough that everything cooks evenly.

If you like your chickpeas really crispy, almost like croutons, make sure you dry them well before cooking. If you prefer them softer, no need to dry them.

You’ve likely heard me repeat one of my favorite daily mantras for women over 40 – “Protein and Produce”. This combo of peas and turkey will easily get you to your recommended 20-30 grams of protein per meal. Eating plenty of protein during the day will give you energy, keep you feeling full longer, and lessen your cravings for between-meal snacks or nighttime sweets.

For your produce, you could chop cucumbers and tomatoes and make an easy salad of salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.

Or you can do what I did and buy premade Tzatziki (yogurt sauce with cucumbers and garlic) and a bag of Trader Joe’s flatbread.

I am a fan of full fat dairy. Low fat dairy often includes stabilizers and sugar to improve its flavor and texture. Fat leaves you feeling more satisfied, and it helps your body absorb nutrients. Full fat yogurt does have more calories than low fat yogurt, but if you read the label, you will probably notice fewer ingredients (and most of the ingredients you will be able to pronounce). Look for yogurt that lists whole milk as the first ingredient and has no added sugars.

Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your tastebuds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.