12.11.2011

Southwest Meatballs and Salsa Bowl

I have not been feeling well for a week or so, and this recipe was surprisingly easy.

Ingredients:
1/2 pkg of ground turkey (about 1/2 lb)
1 egg white
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
EVOO
1.5 cups frozen corn
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped finely
3-4 chopped Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tlbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
sliced green onions
sliced olives
low-fat Greek yogurt

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, egg white, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well using your hands. Shape into small balls about the size of ping-pong balls. Spray a non-stick pan with EVOO, and heat it up over medium to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, drop the meatballs in. Cook 3-5 minutes, turning frequently to brown all sides. Adjust heat to medium, then add corn, black beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, red pepper, lime juice, and cumin. Mix well, then partially cover and cook another 5-6 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in cilantro. Serve, then top with green onions, olives, and Greek yogurt.

This was really good and easy to make. I have never really made meatballs before, and wasn't sure if it would work or not, but it was pretty easy. It would be really helpful to have tongs to easily turn the meatballs, I had to use a spoon and it didn't work incredibly well. I liked that this was almost all vegetables, except the meatballs and would be easy to do as a vegetarian dish with seared tofu instead. In the original recipe, there were no red peppers, olives, green onions, or Greek yogurt, but I had them sitting in my fridge and wanted to use them up, and I like those flavors combined. In addition, they used a full pound of turkey and had larger meatballs, but I was concerned they wouldn't cook all the way through and I like smaller meatballs, so I changed it.

Rating? 5/5
Why? Seriously, this was really savory. I love these flavors together and I liked that it was packed with vegetables but still tasted like a protein dish.

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