Left over turkey middle eastern meatballs

Like everyone else across the country – we had enough left over turkey to do Christmas again three times over! I was flicking around on the internet trying to find interesting ways to use up the leftovers. I always like a bit of bubble and squeak, but after boxing day I always want something that’s not just turkey and potatoes and veg all mushed in different ways. I usually crave something a little lighter, maybe slightly spicy and something that doesn’t come with a side portion of sprouts (although don’t get me wrong – I’m a sprout lover, not a hater!).

This year I decided to make a recipe for middle eastern turkey meatballs – mostly because we have ridiculous amounts of hummus in the house (odd, I know – who buys hummus at Christmas!?). These meatballs were perfection (even if I do say so myself!) – the family gave them rave reviews and I’m planning to make some more to use up the last bit of leftovers! They were also super easy to make and require very little prep or washing up.

This recipe contains a good handful of mint – perfect for the post Christmas bloat! Mint is well known for promoting digestion, soothing indigestion and inflammation.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 hand full of mint

1 hand full of parsley

350g turkey

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp paprika

1 egg

 1 spring onion

1 clove garlic

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until the mixture turns into a paste – it doesn’t need to be smooth, in fact, it’s better if it isn’t!
2. Using a table spoon, take the mixture and roll into small meat balls
3. In a non stick frying pan, fry on a medium heat, turning after 5 minutes
4. Cook until brown on the outside and warm on the inside

Serve! I served mine with hummus, sour cream and chive dip, salad and a piece of gf bread with olive oil – delicious!