Finally...sorry I'm a slacker! Southwest Meatballs and fixin's!

I found these recipes on one of my FAVORITE new sites, skinnytaste.com. I changed a few things, most specifically, I made the meat mixture in the processor and used a cookie scoop, which meant I didn't have to dirty my hands. It also made the meatballs completely green in a fabulous way! This would be the perfect meal or snack on St. Patrick's Day. Best of all, my three year old, who usually has an aversion to all foods green, devoured this meal. Enjoy!

Southwest Turkey Meatballs

Honeysuckle White - Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast, 20 oz. (I'll use the 93% fat free variety next time. Mine were a tad dry.)
Jalapeno, 1 pepper, seeded (unless you want it SPICY)
Garlic - Raw, 2 clove s minced
Fresh Cilantro, 1/4 cup
Scallions (includes tops and bulb), 3 large (I suggest slicing before processing)
Italian Style Bread Crumbs, 1/4 cup
Eggs - Whites only, 2 large
Ground Cumin, 1 tsp
Oregano, 1 tsp
Pepper, black, 1 dash

Combine garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, scallions, and spices in Bosch Universal Plus Food Processor. Blend well. Add egg whites and meat. Blend. Slowly add bread crumbs until meat mix pulls away from the sides of the processor. I then used a Norpro Stainless Steel Cookie Dough Scoop (a small one would work for smaller meatballs) sprayed with olive oil cooking spray to scoop the meat mix into meatballs and placed them directly onto a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Do NOT over cook. I let them cook an extra two minutes and they were a little too dry, but still tasty. Serve with cilantro lime rice and creamy cilantro tomatillo sauce, or as Hors d'œuvres with dipping sauce. Yum!

MFP nutritional info. I split it into 5 servings of 3 meatballs a piece, each serving has: 161 calories 1 gram of fat 30 grams of protein 151 milligrams of sodium

Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce

1% Buttermilk, 1/2 cup
Olive Oil Mayo, 4 tbsp
Nonfat Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (unless you like it SPICY)
Fresh Cilantro, 1/4 cup
Tomatillo, 1 medium
Garlic clove, 1
Scallions, 1 large
Lime juice from 1/2 lime, or about 1 oz

Combine all ingredients in Bosch Blender for Bosch Universal Plus or Bosch Universal Plus Food Processor until smooth.


I said it made 6 servings, each has (according to MFP): 53 calories 4 grams of fat 2 grams of protein 109 milligrams of sodium


This rice was tasty, but next time I will add 1/2 yellow onion, sauteed, for a little more flavor. I didn't add salt to any of my recipes to keep sodium levels low. If you need some, add it afterward. Or use a salt substitute, like Morton Salt Substitute.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Long Grain White Rice, 4 cups prepared
Fresh Cilantro, 3/4 cups
Lime Juice, 1/4 cup
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp

Prepare rice in Zojirushi Rice Cooker and Warmer with water and oil. As soon as it's ready, add chopped cilantro and lime juice. Mix well. Serve.

MFP: 4 servings, each has: 234 calories 4 grams of fat 4 grams of protein 2 milligrams of sodium