Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Better than Take Out



It should come as no surprise that one of my favorite parts about being a newlywed is having someone to cook for! I have had a passion for the palate for as long as I can remember and sharing it makes my time in the kitchen that much more enjoyable. Next to running, my favorite way to wind down from a long workday is to pour a glass of wine, crank up the music and craft a meal. I am extremely lucky that Mark is willing to try just about anything. Most of the time I cook with Mediterranean flavors and inspiration but when we switch it up, I have found my next favorite ethnicity to taste test is Asian. I love the unique combination of flavors and I have found that it's almost always possible to make these Asian inspired dishes super healthy. There are always tons of fresh ingredients, lean protein and flavors that pop. With the help of a dear friend, I discovered this recipe today and knew that we had to eat it. Tonight.

Luckily, this oriental cooking kick has "Asian-ized" our kitchen and we are well stocked with all of the essentials, and then some. Why order take out when you can have the flavors handy and ready for use in your own kitchen!? I didn't even have to go to the store to cook up these little fellas. We ate our Asian meatballs over brown rice, topped with the sesame lime dipping sauce, located below. Don't even think about skipping out on the sauce- it's arguably the BEST part.


Once again, this took under an hour to prepare and as soon as I finish typing this, we'll be just in time to settle in for Glee. This recipe is a weeknight win!

Asian Turkey Meatballs
recipe from Skinny Taste

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. minced ginger (I used pickled)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
Note: I have been keeping pickled ginger on hand lately and I am in LOVE. If you noticed the red specks in the meatballs in the photo above, that's the pickled ginger!

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together so that all of the goodness is incorporated. Form into balls that fit just in the cup of your hand. My batch made exactly 15 meatballs. Bake at 500 for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.


Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

4 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. water
1 chopped scallion

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