Recipe of the Week - Spanakopita Chicken Meatballs with Spinach Pesto
Posted on April 17, 2019 | Recipe
Description
If you are anything like us - you are itching for spring produce. As we patiently await the first asparagus and rhubarb, this delightful recipe from the Gourmet RD takes advantage of one of the first spring crops that you will find at Market -- spinach! It is great for dinner and your family will fight over the leftovers.
Ingredients
- Chicken Meatballs
- 1 and 1/4 lbs ground chicken
- 2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
- 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon or horseradish mustard
- 1 tbsp minced onion
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 3/4 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Spinach - Dill Pesto
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 3 tbsp pine nuts (or other nuts!)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or sunflower oil!)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together all of the meatball ingredients. Using your hands, form 2-inch meatballs and place on the wire rack with an inch of space in between meatballs.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until internal temperature of meatballs reach 160 degrees.
- While meatballs cook, place spinach, dill, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process while drizzling olive oil in through the vegetable shoot, until desired consistency is reached.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Cheers!