Asian meatballs? Yes. And they're delicious!

The other day my neighbor was nice enough to drop off some corn and tomatoes from his friend's garden. I was out of a lot of things and not sure what to do with them - so I thought perhaps I'd try some homemade meatballs in fresh tomato sauce. It sounded good until I realized I was out of pasta.

After some recipe searching online I decided just to wing it and to make Asian meatballs instead, since we have plenty of rice. The result? Surprisingly tasty!

Asian Meatballs

1/2lb ground turkey $1.25
1/2-3/4 C panko breadcrumbs (you can sub regular breadcrumbs but the texture will be different) $.10
1 egg $.12
1 tsp minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp ginger (powder or fresh grated if you have it)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp marmalade (it really works! if you don't have it, sub honey instead)
1 T BBQ sauce

2 C fresh or frozen veggies of choice: Broccoli, peppers, onions (yellow or green), bok choy, carrots, squash, mushrooms, etc. $1.50
3 T BBQ sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 T marmalade
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ginger
1/3 C water


1 C rice $ .45

To Make:

1. Whisk the egg, sauces, and spices together in a mixing bowl. Use a flat spatula to combine the turkey with the egg mixture. LAST - mix the bread crumbs in by 1/4 cupfuls, stopping when you have something the consistency of soft playdough.
   
2. Heat 2 T of olive oil in the bottom of a nonstick pan. Make sure the oil is coating the pan evenly (I like to take a piece of paper towel and push it around the pan with my spatula). Shape the meatballs a bit like a thick hamburger patty (don't make them completely round) - I made mine slightly smaller than golf balls - and place them in the pan.
   
3. After a few minutes, use a pair of tongs to flip the meatballs and cook the other side. You want both sides to be browned but the center to still look a bit pink.
   
4. Repeat until all the meat mixture has been used. Set meatballs aside.
   
5. Add 1 T oil to the pan and place oil and any "fryable" veggies in the pan (peppers/onions/mushrooms, etc) Cook for 2 min over medium heat until the veggies have softened slightly. Then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and remaining veggies. At this time you can return the meatballs to the pan, pushing them to the bottom so that they are partially covered by the sauce.
   
6. Place a lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the hardest vegetables are fork-done. (you can easily poke a fork into them). NOTE: If you have any thick veggies that are unlikely to cook in this time frame, such as broccoli or carrots, you can place them in a bowl with a few T of water in the bottom and a cover on top and micowave them for a few minutes before adding them to the pan. That way they will be done when the rest of the dish is.
   
7. Just before serving, mix all the ingredients in the pan so they are evenly coated by the sauce. Serve over hot rice. Mmmmm.