Mintified Turkey Meatballs

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So, I totally messed up the meatballs...

Well, maybe not totally messed up.  I mean, they weren't that horrible.  They were edible.  Just more dry than normal.  That's the worst, right?!  You've made a meal so many times and it has come out wonderfully and then you decide to make it for friends or family and miss one step or one ingredient and it bonks.  

Ugh.

I couldn't figure out what I did wrong at first.  I ate them thinking, "hmmm.... something is off."  They were more dry than normal.  I made these Mintified Turkey Meatballs this past weekend for  our pre-race meal of spaghetti & meatballs before The Rough Trail 50k.  

I've made this recipe countless times and thought I remembered how to make it.  Then, I realized I left out one important step!  Darn it!  Have you ever done that?!  So annoying, right?!

So, what happened?!  

I forgot to saute the onions and spices first!!  Oops!!  Don't miss that step or these won't be as good!!  

Needless to say the meal fueled me up well before the race and I tackled the course finishing in just over 8 hours.  

This recipe came from epicurious.com.  I subbed out the ground chicken for ground turkey because ground chicken is hard to find!  The turkey makes a wonderful substitute!  These are great simmered in tomato sauce and served over spaghetti, served over greens or stuffed into a pita with thinly sliced cucumber and a tangy yogurt sauce.  

2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh parsley
1 cup mint leaves
2 pounds ground turkey

Preheat oven to 425.  Pulse the onions and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. 

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chopped onion and garlic, season with salt and cook stirring until softened and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.  Add spices and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Scrape into a large bowl.  

Wipe out the food processor and add parsley and mint.  Pulse until finely chopped, then transfer to bowl with onion mixture.  Add turkey and mix with your hands to combine.  Divide into 16 equal meatballs and place on a greased cookie sheet.  

Roast in the oven about 10 minutes per side until cooked through.  Enjoy!

Heather Poast