Sriracha Poultry Meatballs

These were delicious. The little man, who never eats meat at home for some reason that I can’t understand other than the fact that he seems to know how much it drives me crazy, even ate 2 of them. I found the recipe on Life’s Ambrosia. They were great with these Asian Style Noodles, but will also be great with rice or as a hot appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Chicken or Turkey
  
• 1 Egg, beaten
  
• 1/3 cup Plain Breadcrumbs
  
• ½ Yellow Onion, minced
  
• 2 Green Onions, chopped
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• ½ tsp Ginger, zested or minced
  
• 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
  
• 2 Tbsp Sriracha
  
• 1 tsp Thai Fish Sauce
  
• 2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰.
   
2. Combine all ingredients except peanut oil in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Roll into 20 meatballs.
   
3. Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook meatballs until browned. Transfer to a baking dish.
   
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 more minutes or until cooked through.
   
5. Transfer to a serving platter sprinkle with more sesame seeds and chopped green onions if desired.
   

 

Servings – 28 1 inch meatballs

WW Points – 1 meatball = 1 pts / 4 meatballs = 3 pts

Creamy Taco Mac

When I first saw this recipe on Annie’s Eats, I though it looked tasty, simple, and quick, the perfect combination for a busy weeknight meal. When I first made it, exactly as it appears in Annie’s blog post, Jim looked at me and said, “This is probably really bad for me, isn’t it?” When I recovered from the shock that he actually considered whether it was good for him or not, not that he would have stopped eating if I told him his plate was worth 10,000 calories.

Surprisingly, the original dish was relatively healthy, or at least not as high in fat as its creamy appearance and taste might have you believe. With a few additional tweaks, I was able to make this a 6 point per serving dish. Paired with a salad or green vegetable, it makes a very satisfying and flavorful meal that you don’t have to feel too guilty about at all.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. Ground Turkey
  
• 8 oz. Small Shaped Pasta, uncooked
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 1 (14 oz.) can Diced Tomatoes, drained
  
• 3 to 4 tbsp. Taco Seasoning (we like Penzey’s Bold Taco Seasoning)
  
• 2 oz. Light Cream Cheese
  
• 1/3 cup Light Sour Cream
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 4 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
   
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
   
4. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Herbed Turkey Meatball Subs

This is another recipe from Everyday with RR. We really liked how it turned out, though it dawned on me when we were eating that I could “correct” the issue of messy meatball sandwiches by simply making them in patty form next time around. Oh, and if your local grocery store is out of pancetta (Grrr!) bacon works too.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  
• Five 6-inch hoagie rolls
  
• 3 onions, halved and sliced
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  
• 6 ounces sliced pancetta, chopped
  
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• One 15-ounce can tomato puree
  
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
  

 

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium heat. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve the skillet. Using a food processor, pulse 1 hoagie roll into crumbs; add 3/4 cup crumbs to the bowl.
   
2. Using the food processor, finely chop 1 cup onion slices and the garlic. In the reserved skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic-onion mixture and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes; add to the bowl, wiping out the skillet. Using the food processor, finely chop 1/4 cup basil; add the pancetta and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the bowl along with the turkey, egg, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix together.
   
3. Shape the meat mixture into 16 meatballs. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onions and cook until browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the meatballs and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with foil and cook until the meatballs are firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
   
4. Preheat the broiler. Partially split the remaining 4 hoagie rolls; arrange cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil until toasted. Top each roll with 4 meatballs. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup basil and stir into the tomato sauce; spoon over the meatballs. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and broil until the cheese is melted.