Turkey Meatballs

Last night we had a fun evening with friends.   A few weeks earlier, we'd discussed starting a cooking club where each of us would make a recipe we'd never tried before.   It was a fun night of cooking and laughs and all the recipes we tried were delicious.  

Tim and I drew the appetizer, so we were up first.  These turkey meatballs had an Asian flare to them and every gave them a thumbs up.  We also thought, you might be able to make these into burger patties for a tasty sandwich.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey
2 scallions, very finely chopped
1/2 cup very finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs (unseasoned)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 or 3 slices fresh ginger smashed with the side of a heavy knife

1. To make the meatballs: Heat the oven to 400.
2. Gently mix together the ingredients (hands are best for this), then form meatballs by rolling tablespoon-sized scoops between your palms.
3. Arrange on a lightly oiled or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through. Serve with toothpicks for dipping.
4. To make the dipping sauce: In a small pot, stir all the ingredients together over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves.
5. Simmer 3 or so minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens a bit.  We also added 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water the help with the thickening process, but this is optional.
6. Fish out the ginger and serve in small cups for dipping.

These meatballs were a hit, these were the last two left!