Turkish Meatballs Food

TURKISH MEATBALLS (KOFTA)

Steps:

• Make the bread crumbs by breaking up 2 slices of stale but not dried out whole wheat bread into the bowl of a food processor.
• Whizz until finely crumbed.
• Add the ground lamb and the egg, and process until blended.
• Add the spices, garlic and parsley.
• Process the meat well to achieve a fine texture.
• Roll the mixture into small meatballs (I use a melonballer) or finger shaped patties using dampened hands.
• You may cook them at once, or refrigerate the mixture for several hours.
• (If your meat is very fresh, you can divide it in half and wrap part well in plastic for the next day's meal.) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and fry the balls or patties until cooked through and evenly browned.
• The meatballs should be stirred several times, the patties turned once.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon to drain.
• Serve the meatballs hot or at room temperature as an appetizer.
• Lovely with a yogurt or tahini sauce, on a bed of rice or in a pita.

TURKISH MEATBALLS (KOFTA)

Steps:

• Tear up bread slices into the bowl of a food processor; process into fine crumbs. Add ground lamb and egg; process until blended. Add parsley, garlic, cumin, mint, allspice, salt, and pepper; process until evenly combined.
• Roll lamb mixture into small meatballs.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.

TURKISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Mix meat, bread crumbs, Parmesan, eggs, dry seasonings and half the chopped fresh herbs just until blended.
• Shape into 48 meatballs, each about 1 inch in diameter.
• Place on foil-covered rimmed baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 13 to 15 min. or until done (160ºF). Meanwhile, mix yogurt, feta cheese and remaining fresh herbs until blended.
• Serve meatballs with the yogurt mixture.

TURKISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Cook the bulgur by covering it with a cup of boiling water and letting it soak in a covered bowl for about 10 minutes.
• Uncover and let cool for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients except the parsley in a mixing bowl.
• Add in the cooled bulgur and use your hands to thoroughly mix everything together.
• Roll them with your hands into balls around the same size as a golf ball and flatten them a little.
• Now you can either bake them in a hot oven for around 10 minutes or fry them in hot oil until they are browned all over.
• Serve with parsley sprinkled on top.

TURKEY MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In a bowl mix together; green onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. With a fork stir in ground turkey or chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. (You can crumble some in a skillet, cook, taste, and then adjust seasoning). Shape mixture into small meatballs. In a large skillet heat olive oil. Add meatballs in a single layer and let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, without disturbing. If they stick, loosen with a slotted spoon. Stir in tomato sauce into the skillet, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes (while spaghetti is cooking) to reheat sauce and cook meatballs through. Drain pasta and then return to the pot and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Dish out a portion of pasta on each plate and spoon some meatballs and sauce in center.

TURKISH SPICED MEATBALLS WITH POMEGRANATE YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make Sauce:
• Put yogurt in a paper towel-lined sieve set over a bowl and keep covered and chilled 8 to 12 hours.
• Boil pomegranate juice in a small heavy saucepan until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Keep warm off heat, covered.
• Make Meatballs:
• Soak whole slices of bread for 30 minutes in a mixing bowl filled with water, then fold and squeeze gently to remove as much water as possible.
• Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped, then add parsley and pulse again until finely chopped. Add lamb, bread (torn into pieces), allspice, red-pepper flakes, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse, stopping and scraping down sides, until combined. (Do not overblend.)
• Roll level tablespoons of meat mixture into balls (about 42), arranging them on plates or on another sheet pan.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with foil.
• Heat olive oil and vegetable oil together in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until oils shimmer (put one meatball in to test; it should sizzle). Brown meatballs all over in batches of 10 to 12, turning occasionally with a spoon or shaking skillet (lower heat if oil begins to smoke), about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer, as browned, to lined sheet pan.
• Once all meatballs are browned, transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake until meatballs are cooked through (cut one open to look, or use an instant-read thermometer; it should register 160°F), 10 to 15 minutes. Drain briefly on paper towels.
• Spoon drained yogurt into a small serving bowl and drizzle with pomegranate syrup, then swirl it in briefly with a spoon. Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds over top. Spear each meatball with a toothpick and serve yogurt alongside for dipping.

LAMB KöFTE WITH YOGURT SAUCE AND MUHAMMARA

Steps:

• For yogurt sauce:
• Stir all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Cover and chill.
• For Köfte:
• Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix lamb and next 8 ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange on sheet.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Place large sheet of foil on work surface. Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add flatbreads to skillet 1 at a time; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Enclose in foil; place in oven to keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer onions to 1 side of large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Sauté half of meatballs until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs, adding oil to skillet if dry. Reserve skillet.
• For muhammara:
• Add roasted peppers to reserved skillet; stir 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more pomegranate molasses, if desired. Transfer to small bowl.
• Arrange onions and meatballs on platter. Serve with warm breads, yogurt sauce, and muhammara.
• Available at some supermarkets, natural foods stores, and Middle Eastern markets.
• ** A thick pomegranate syrup; available at some supermarkets, at Middle Eastern markets, and from adrianascaravan.com.