Monday, March 5, 2012

Greek Inspired Turkey Meatballs with Eggplant Yogurt Sauce


I have been on a turkey meatball kick lately.  They are just so versatile that you can combine any number of spices and herbs and come up with a different flavor profile every time.  Being that they are made from that ever so lean turkey, and I bake mine to ensure that no pesky oils or unwanted fats infiltrate them, they end up being a really healthy dinner option!

This week I had a craving for olives and Feta cheese.  I don't know where these things start, but I decided to go for it.  The Greek Inspired Turkey Meatball was born.

Of course a turkey meatball on its own isn't super fun, so I envision a rich and creamy sauce to go along with it.  I wanted something that would be full of flavor, compliment the meatballs, add some excitement but not kill the healthy style of the turkey.  The result?  Eggplant Yogurt sauce.

Meatballs
1 lb ground lean turkey meat
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Zest of one lemon
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped oregano (dried is fine)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup fat free Feta Cheese crumbles
1/2 to 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl combine the above ingredients until will mixed.  Get your hands in there and really work the ingredients together-the result should be visible-an even distribution of the ingredients, not too wet but not too dry either.

Shape the meat into balls- no more than 2 inches in diameter, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes, or until completely cooked through.


Sauce
1 medium eggplant, pealed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp oregano
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt, plain
2 tbsp honey

Toss the eggplant with garlic, chili pepper, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and half of the oil.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400 for 20 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and cooked through. When done remove from oven and cool.
Transfer the eggplant to a food processor add the yogurt and honey and turn on the processor to begin blending.  Slowly add in the rest of the oil.  The consistency should be thick, but still loose.

Serve the meatballs over a bed of fresh spinach and Kalamata olives and drizzle with the sauce.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love turkey meatballs and this sauce looks amazing. I will definitely be trying this dish!

Colleen @ Culinary Colleen said...

I love the eggplant yogurt sauce idea! Greek yogurt is one of my new obsessions...

Jen said...

The sauce on these meatballs sounds pretty awesome.

Restaurant Reviews: A dead art?

Last December I declared 2023 the year I would return to food writing.  It was a bold statement (even now as I look at my last published dat...