Ostrich (or Turkey) Meatballs
In my family we call these meatballs albondigas. I tweaked this recipe by making the broth out of green tea and using ostrich meat from a local farm. You can use store-bought vegetable broth instead of homemade. You can use it instead of the green tea, but you won’t get the same health benefits. You can use organic or free-range ground chicken or turkey instead of ostrich meat. The benefits include: Green tea leaves are full of catechins, theaflavins, and safranal, which are all cancer killers. Ostrich meat contains copper, riboflavin, and selenium. Copper is a necessary component of collagen for healthy skin and joints. Selenium increases resistance to infection.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium egg (organic, free-range, or Omega-3-enriched)
1 tsp. rock salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy or tamari sauce
1 lb. ground ostrich or turkey
1 Tbs. all-purpose or gluten-free flour
¼ cup minced white onion
2 Tbs. minced parsley
1 Tbs. minced green onions or chives
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups brewed green tea
2 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup each diced celery, carrots, onions, and tomatoes
4 Tbs. chiffonade of cilantro leaves
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg slightly and add the salt, pepper, and soy or tamari sauce.
2. Fold in the ostrich meat and the flour until the mixture is smooth and even.
3. Fold in the white onions, parsley, green onions, and garlic and mix well.
4. With your hands, form the meat paste into about 12 medium-sized balls roughly 2–3 inches in diameter. Place them on a sheet of waxed or parchment paper.
5. In a large soup pot, bring the tea and vegetable stock to a boil.
6. Add the meatballs one by one while the liquid is boiling and cook for 10–15 minutes or until all the meatballs are floating on top of the liquid.
7. Add the diced vegetables and cook another 5–7 minutes or until they are crisp-tender.
8. Remove the meatballs from the heat and ladle them into bowls. Top with the cilantro.
