TURKEY & FETA MEATBALL EGGPLANT INVOLTINI (GF)

Involtini!  Involtini!!  It sounds powerful, right?  It is.  It has the power to take over your afternoon and your kitchen.  To cover every and all countertop surfaces with a tray, a bowl, a cutting board, or a scattering of feta cheese.  It's also a nibble while you cook kinda meal.  Unfortunately, I had no self control on this particular afternoon and there was no one else around to shame me into acting civilized so many little pieces of feta, small meatballs, and chunks of roasted eggplant went missing along the way.  I didn't even really need dinner by the time the dish was ready.  But don't fret, I ate lot's of it anyways.

Eggplant Involtini is an Italian dish that is typically stuffed with a blend of cheeses, particularly ricotta.  This makes a great vegetarian main or vegetable side dish and since we all know how much I love cheese, a very tasty way to eat an eggplant. However, with the change of seasons I'm attempting to get back into healthier eating habits (tooo many summer cocktails on the patio perhaps?) and painfully, not eat an inordinate amount of cheese.  So I created this version that is healthy, full of lean protein, and a great dinner option when you want something really good without breaking the health streak.  And yes, it still has cheese in it.  I do my best, okay?

I don't usually post overly complicated recipes, and I wouldn't say that this is complicated, so much as time consuming.  There are a few shortcuts you can take, but unless you happen to have all the components already made in your fridge, it's going to take a bit of time.  Putting the final parts together is easy, but first you have to make the main three parts of this meal, a yummy gluten free, flour and rice free turkey and feta meatball, big slices of roasted eggplant, and your favourite tomato sauce.  Then it's just rollin', rollin', rollin'...

First up, get the eggplant going.

Roasted Eggplant
1 large eggplant
Salt
Olive oil

Prepare the eggplant by slicing off and discarding the stem ends.  Then slice the eggplant lengthwise in 1/4 inch thick slices (aka as thinly as you can).  If you have a mandolin, use it!  But I did it solo, 'cause I'm super talented.  And also because I don't have a mandolin.  Pile the slices in a strainer, sprinkling the slices of eggplant with salt in between each layer.  Leave this to sit for 30 minutes,.  The salt will pull out all of the excess moisture in the eggplant.  After the half hour is up, rinse the slices quickly in cold water and then pat dry.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lay the eggplant slices out in one layer, brushing each side lightly with olive oil.  Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

While you've got the eggplant going, you can start on the meatballs too.  Side note:  these are great just on their own, and you'll probably have a few leftover so just add them to the leftovers pile in your fridge for another night when you're in a rush.  However, don't expect them to act like regular meatballs.  Because they are completely free of any type of breadcrumb or flour they won't roll into balls in your hand.

Turkey & Feta Meatballs
2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 zucchini, shredded, drained, and patted dry
1/2 cup crumbled feta, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
3 tablespoons flax meal
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4  teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray lightly with oil.  Place spoonfuls of the meat on the baking sheet.  Since these meatballs are grain and flour free, the mixture will be a bit sticky, so don't worry about rolling them into balls, just put them on the sheet like you would cookies.  Bake for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees, depending on the size.

With the two biggest parts of the involtini going strong, the last piece of the puzzle is the tomato sauce.  For the sauce, you can use your go-to tomato sauce, especially if you have some stocked up in the freezer ready to use.  I had thoughts in my head of doing a proper sauce for this myself, but as the kitchen got messier and the clean surfaces started to disappear I decided to take a shortcut instead.  I used a jar of strained tomatoes and simply added a few herbs and spices.  I figured everything would sizzle and simmer together in the over later anyways.

Tomato Sauce / Or use your own sauce
1 jar (680ml) strained tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.

When all of the three key parts are complete, you can start assembling your involtini.  Involtini!  I just have to do that.  At this point you're cruising.  And if you're like me, you're starting to feel pretty full from all the "cleaning up" of stray pieces of food.  But hey, there's still other people to feed.

Turkey & Feta Meatball Eggplant Involtini (GF)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large casserole dish, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of the dish.  Take one slice of eggplant, and roll it around one meatball, placing seam side down in the dish.  Continue until all the eggplant slices have been used, and fill any remaining spaces with plain meatballs.  You'll probably have meatballs leftover, which can be enjoyed another day (or just make another eggplant).  Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce over the rolls, and sprinkle with remaining feta.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until the dish is heated through, and the sauce is bubbling.  Serve and enjoy.