Cloak, Dagger, and Meatballs - A Family Sunday Recipe

On Facebook the other day a good friend of mine posted a request for family friendly healthy dinner ideas. As a half-dozen ideas popped in my head I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by these two thoughts:

1. She works long hours with a long commute (i.e. little time at home)
2. She has an elementary-school age child (would he eat what I eat?) 

So I started thinking more strategically... what takes relatively little time to make, is healthy enough to satisfy adults and tasty enough to satisfy kids? The answer was clear. Big, flashing neon sign clear.

Turkey meatballs.

Wait! Don't wrinkle your nose and walk away just yet! These are not boring, tasteless meatballs. These meatballs are fragrant, lightly spiced and loaded with veggies. But hidden vegetables so kids (hopefully) won't run screaming from the dinner table. Secret spy vegetables. Ninja vegetables. Yeah... that's it... ninjas.

Turkey Meatball Base - makes approximately 3 dozen
1lb ground turkey
1 small onion, yield 1/2 cup grated
1 small zucchini, yield 1/2 cup grated
1 medium carrot, yield 1/4 cup grated

Spice Mix
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1.5 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (hot sauce)
dash Chinese Five-Spice powder
dash black pepper

Stir-Fry Sauce
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon white rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated garlic
pinch red pepper flakes - optional

Notes before you start: If making stir-fry vegetables add the sauce to the pan in the last minute of cooking. Since it will reduce slightly I strongly suggest using low-sodium soy sauce and no added salt or you may find the dish to be unpleasantly over-salted. These meatballs will easily pick up whatever spice combination you want to throw at them (ninjas, remember?) so try using rosemary and finely minced garlic to add to your favorite tomato sauce or sage, thyme and nutmeg to use as an autumnal stuffing for squash bowls. I also make mini ones and love them dropped (fully cooked) into vegetable based soups.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lightly mist with olive oil or pan spray.

Using a grater or food processor finely grate the onion, carrot and zucchini. Combine with the ground turkey and add the spice mix. Mix well.

Form into meatballs and place, evenly spaced, on the cookie sheet. Immediately lower heat to 375º F and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve over brown rice with steamed or stir-fried vegetables.

These meatballs are also easily portable for those who bring their lunch to work and can be frozen (up to one month) making them an easy item to make on a Sunday for the week ahead.

Enjoy!