FitnessmomWinecountry: No Mom, Not the Meatballs.....

I guess I am just "old school" when it comes to comfort dinners. You know like stew (only I do veggie because we don't eat red meat) OR meatloaf, no NOT the meatloaf that Alice made from the Brady Bunch episodes (remember those)? But lean turkey meatloaf. Well not tonight, not meatloaf, but my next fav thing to get creative with are my Turkey Meatballs. Oh how I love hiding stuff in them and just love the excitement from the kids when I tell them I am making them. Okay so that is a small exaggeration. But here is my thought process, they are outside running and playing so hard that they will be hungry enough to eat anything I put in front of them.

Wrong! "No mom, not again". "Don't put all that stuff in them". Followed with, "shhhshh, I don't want to hear it", "now go and play until dinner is done". Time for mom to get to work. I have come to realize that my turkey meatballs are like snowflakes, no not nearly as pretty or delicate as snowflakes, but in a way that they are never the same twice because I am always coming up with something new and different to do with them.

Turkey Meat Balls (tonight's version)

Lean Ground Turkey
Mushrooms
Onion
Carrots
Fresh Basil
Bulgar
Sea Salt
Low Sodium Beef or Chicken Broth
Panko Bread Crumbs
EVOO

Cut veggies and fresh basil into small chunks and add to food processor with some EVOO. Pulse until desired size (this might take a few steps so not to overload your food processor), also the EVOO is liquid you need to help the processing and flavor. Add all the veggies to the lean ground turkey and set aside. Cook about a cup of Bulgar (if cooked in broth you get more flavor). Add the bulgar to the turkey mixture. Add the Panko bread crumbs. Make your meatballs.

Adding mushrooms and bulgar to the meatballs act as a you meaty "glue" so to speak, with these you don't need to add egg or crushed crackers or bread crumbs. Panko are a Japanesse style breadcrumb with a better texture and no fat or cholesterol and with only 1 gram of sugar per 1/2 cup. These are always my first choice for cooking.