Low-Carb Turkey Meatballs with Romano Cheese and Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1/2 cup Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup raw hemp seed
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. teaspoon rubbed sage, or less
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary, or less
• 1 tsp. dried thyme, or less
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 tsp. olive oil, for frying the meatballs

Directions

1. Pull the ground turkey from the refrigerator, transfer it to a medium plastic bowl, and set it aside until it reaches room temperature.
2. While the turkey sits, combine the granulated garlic, dried sage, dried rosemary, and dried thyme in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Crush or grind the mixture until the herbs are quite fine. If these are for kids, you may want to go lighter on the herbs, especially the sage and rosemary, since both have a bold flavor.
3. Once the turkey is at room temperature, scatter the ground herb mixture, Romano or Parmesan-Romano cheese, and hemp hearts over the top. Add the beaten egg and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Wash your hands, then mix everything into the turkey with your hands. Don’t get too enthusiastic here; just gently squeeze and fold until the mixture is combined.
5. Scoop the meat into even portions with a spoon, then roll each portion between your hands to shape the meatballs. The mixture will feel soft at this point, but it will tighten up as the turkey cooks.
6. After all the meatballs are shaped, warm 1 T (3 tsp.) olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. If the pan starts to look dry while they cook, add the additional tsp. of olive oil.
7. Cook the meatballs over medium heat, rotating them to another side every few minutes, until they are nicely browned all over and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
8. Slice one meatball open to check that the center is done, or use a meat thermometer and make sure the turkey has reached at least 165F. Serve hot.