Day # 3 - Baked Meatballs with Broccoli Salad

Okay now folks, it's day 3 of our low carb lifestyle.  So far so good.  I wasn't even tempted by the easter candy some cruel person put right outside of my office.  I was able to stay strong and "Just walk on by" - in the words of Dionne Warwick.  So tonight's dinner was "Baked Meatballs with Broccoli Salad."  It was actually pretty tasty.  Recipe made enough meatballs to even stick some away in the freezer for another night.  We have discovered that this really takes team work in the kitchen with prepping.  Lot's of fresh and that is okay. 

Recipe:  Baked Meatballs

Baking meatballs instead of frying them saves time and clean-up. These can easily be added to low carb tomato sauce.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°In a skillet, over high heat, cook onion 5 minutes, until softened; add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and mix in ground meats, cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper.
2. Roll golf ball-size meatballs; arrange on a jelly roll pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until browned and cooked through.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 head Broccoli, separated into small florets
• 1 large roasted red pepper (homemade or jarred), rinsed and patted dry 
• 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 packet sweetner (splenda or sweet n low)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Not only do red peppers add color and flavor, they provide a dose of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant.

Directions:
1. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook broccoli 5-6 minutes until tender but firm. While cauliflower is cooking, cut red pepper into thin strips.
2. Drain broccoli. Mix in red peppers, olives  and parsley.
3.  Mix vinegar, olive oil, sweetner.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.  Pour over broccoli mixture and mix well.  Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving