Jasper’s Turkey Meatballs

A few weeks ago we celebrated my mom’s birthday and I decided to make meatballs with polenta. Half of it went according to plan.

I had never tried to cook polenta before so I didn’t know how long I was supposed to cook it for since it never seemed to thicken. This resulted in a very thick polenta cooked for over an hour with me stirring frequently. I had also never tasted polenta so I didn’t realize how tasteless it was!

The meatballs, however, where much better. My brother made them and they tasted amazing. (The sauce was able to cover the bland taste of polenta).

I also made some matcha tarts for dessert. It tasted okay, but I believe it would’ve been better if I hadn’t accidentally boiled the cashew nuts…

• Servings: 4-5
• Print

My brother made these meatballs and they are delicious! Please look at the ingredients for the meatballs and the sauce since some come up for both of them.
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 pound minced turkey
1/2 onion, finely diced (keep the other half for the sauce)
5 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
Sauce
1 1/2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves, smashed
2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves, rinsed
Pepper and salt

Instructions:

1. Meatballs: Mix all the meatball ingredients together, then press them into round balls. Refrigerate.
2. Sauce: Brown the onions and garlic in a large pot over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cloves, oregano, bay leaves, pepper and salt. When the sauce starts to boil, add in the meatballs. Cover with a lid and then mix after a few minutes, carefully pushing the meatballs in the sauce.
3. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat with the lid on, then simmer for an hour.
4. This is best served with pasta.

Easy Bibimbap

Surprise! You might have noticed that I’m posting on a Wednesday instead of the weekend like I normally do. Well it’s all due to the great outdoors. My family and I are going camping for the weekend so I won’t have access to internet, which is why I’m leaving you guys with this easy dinner idea before I go. I got this idea from a recent episode of MasterChef where I saw all these really yummy looking bowls of bibimbap being made. The contestants on that show are so talented! (I’m cheering for Dan by the way. Love him!)

Let me first explain what bibimbap is. A Korean dish, literally meaning “mixed rice”, it is usually served in a hot stone bowl with rice (the stone bowl is so hot that there is a delicious layer of crispy rice on the bottom) and topped with vegetables, meat and an egg in the middle. The most traditional dishes use raw eggs and raw meat which should get cooked as it is mixed in the hot rice before eating. I, sadly, do not have stone bowls and had to content with these colourful Moroccan bowls that my dad picked up from one of his many travels all over the world. And since I couldn’t heat my bowls over the stove top, I couldn’t get a crispy layer of rice on the bottom, but it still tasted delicious!

My version of this Korean dish leans towards the healthier side, with delicious pan-fried chickpeas, minced turkey and lots of vegetables.

Slow Cooker Turkey and Beans Chili

Comfort food for these cold days. But still healthier than normal, with turkey instead of beef, and kidney beans for antioxidants and protein. And it’s super good! The chili peppers give it a bit of a kick, and with the beans, it tastes wonderful.

With a slow cooker, this is so easy to make. Just dump everything in the pot and continue on with your day! And if your vegetarian, you can always replace the turkey with sweet potatoes, more beans, etc.