Thanksgiving Meatballs w/ Mashed Cauliflower and Craisin Sauce

Perfect for weight-loss surgery patients, this dish gives you the flavors you love from Thanksgiving dinner – in a few fabulous bites!

• Cuisine Entree

Ingredients

Meatballs (makes 20 meatballs)

• 1 lean ground turkey
• 1/2 small zucchini grated
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp celery flakes
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Whipped Cauliflower (makes about 8 quarter-cup servings)

• 1 small head of cauliflower cut into florets
• 2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp parsely

Craisin Sauce (makes 1 cup of sauce)

• 2 cwater
• 1 c low-sugar craisins
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest or lemon juice
• 1/4 c no-calorie sweetener

Servings: meatballs

Instructions

Make the meatballs

1. In a mixing bowl, combine ground meat, zucchini and all spices and mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop up heaps of the meat mixture, rolling it into meatballs with your hand. Place in a baking dish and add about 2 tbsp. of water to the pan before covering with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes or until meatballs are done through.

Make the whipped cauliflower

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and cook until very tender, about 7-8 minutes. Drain the water then return the florets to the pot. Add cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and milk and mash with a potato masher or mix with an immersion blender (I did the latter) until smooth. You can also put the ingredients in your food processor to achieve a whipped consistency.

Make the craisin sauce

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the craisins and lemon zest and cook about 5-7 minutes. The craisins will become very plump. Drain the water and place the craisins in your blender (this works especially well with a bullet-style blender). Add sweetener and blend until smooth. Refrigerate before serving if you like.

Assemble

1. Place desired amount of whipped cauliflower on a plate (each mound you see has ¼ c. mashed cauliflower). Place a meatball on top and finish with a dollop of craisin sauce (use your own discretion about how much of the sauce you can eat).

www.bariatricfoodie.com/category/bariatric-recipes/fall