A little (meat) ball of comfort

Is it just me or does it feel like spring has forgotten to "spring"?  I am desperate to shed my winter coat, fling open my windows and let in the warm breeze...  however it is still hovering around 40 degrees.  Rain is moving in and the temperature is falling. It was, dare I say it...  cloudy with a chance of meatballs.  Days like this need comfort food, the kind that takes time to make.   I have been craving turkey meatballs for about two weeks so today was the day.

There is something comforting about having a pan bubbling away on the stove, making the house smell so delicious.  It's rather soothing to me to cook at a leisurely pace.  I enjoy the process so much more than when it is frenetic.  It allows me the time to really focus on the food.  The tactile sensations of it, rolling a meatball can be mundane but today it was sheer pleasure.  Perhaps because I've been wanting them for weeks,  these were ridiculously good and I enjoyed every single minute of it.  The smell that permeated my kitchen was mouth-watering and the meatballs were absolutely perfect.

There isn't anything particularly spectacular about a turkey meatball, except they are damn good but the sauce is what really makes it.  In lieu of a traditional red sauce to have these with, I went a slightly different route... and today it was the road to happiness.


For the Turkey Meatballs
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper


- The easiest way to make sure the meatballs are consistent in size is to use a small cookie scoop to portion them.  There is a kitchen gadget that is specifically made for scooping meatballs, but I don't own one. 
- Once all the meatballs are scooped, give them a quick roll to make them round & brown them in a few tablespoons of good olive oil in a screaming hot pan to get a nice carmelized crust on them.
- When they are browned on all sides, add in your sauce and let them simmer until cooked through.