Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

Hi, how was your weekend? Did you guys do anything fun to celebrate St Patrick's Day? I whipped up some rainbow-frosted cupcakes for the occasion, but that was about the extent of it - no corned beef and cabbage for us this year. Have you guys seen this corned beef poutine with Guinness gravy? Totally insane in the best possible way, and likely to be on our St Patrick's Day menu next year :)

Yesterday also kicked off race season for Shane, so we spent our day down in New Bedford for their Friendly Sons of St Patrick 1/2 Marathon. This was the fourth time Shane's run this race but this year was so much colder than any of the others, with a brutally chilly wind blowing the entire time. Combine that with the fact that there's more snow in the forecast for tonight, and I'm now 99% confident this winter is never going to end... Regardless, Shane ran a great race, shaving two minutes and change off last year's time and finishing in 1:35!



I'd like to think the healthy meals we ate in the week leading up to the race had something to do with his success. So yeah let's go with that, I'm sure the 60 miles he runs weekly played no part at all :)

These Asian Turkey Meatballs were on the menu on Friday night and we both loved them. We eat a lot of ground turkey and I get bored with meatloaf, chili and the like so finding new recipes is always a win. It's especially nice when they're quick and easy like this one, it's definitely a great weeknight option if you're trying to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. The soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger add lots of flavor to the meatballs so the dipping sauce isn't necessary, but it's a nice bonus on the side! I may be tempted to use a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce up next time but that's just a personal preference. Served with a little rice and some sugar snap peas (my newest obsession), this was a fantastic healthy meal!



Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce
barely adapted from Skinny Taste

Meatballs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 scallions, thinly sliced (plus extra for garnish)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/4 lb ground turkey

Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 500 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray (to make clean-up easier).

In a medium bowl, combine the panko, egg, ginger, garlic, salt, parsley, scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Use a fork to stir until evenly mixed. Add the ground turkey, and use your hands to gently mix until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Using a 1/4 cup measure, portion the mixture and shape each portion into a ball. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 F.

Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and water. When the meatballs come out of the oven, drizzle them evenly with about 1-2 tablespoon of the sauce. Garnish with additional scallions if desired. Serve with the remainder of the sauce for dipping.

Makes 12 meatballs