Turkey Meatballs with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts

I got this recipe from Molly Wizenberg’s blog, though it is also in her book. These meatballs were out of this world! That’s why I only have two pictures – we were too busy eating them to handle a camera. Trust me when I say that these will delight you.

For the meat, you do need a mix of white meat and dark meat. We couldn’t find ground dark-meat turkey, so we used pork, though lamb would work too. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium-high heat, mixing them so that they roast evenly. For the sauce, I recommend starting with the juice of half a lemon, and put lots of cumin. Divine!

½ pound ground white-meat turkey
½ pound ground dark-meat turkey
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 egg
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
½ cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup golden raisins (chopped if they’re large)
½ cup fine bread crumbs
a few pinches ground cumin
½ tsp salt
a few pinches freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Mix all ingredients except olive oil together in a bowl, preferably using your hands. You don’t want to overwork the meat—that would make your final product tough—but you do want all ingredients to be evenly mixed. Form the mixture into balls of whatever size you like (mine were about 1 inch to 1 ½ inches).



Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, and sauté the meatballs in batches, so as not to crowd them. As they begin to color, turn them regularly so that they are golden on all sides. They should be done when they are evenly browned and feel medium firm—but not hard—to the touch. Place on a paper towel to catch excess oil. Serve hot, warm, or cold with yogurt sauce.

Lemon-and-Cumin Yogurt Sauce

nonfat plain yogurt (lactose-free or not)
fresh lemon juice
garlic, finely chopped
ground cumin
ground chili
salt
pepper

Mix ingredients to taste in a bowl, and keep chilled until serving.