Turkish Meatballs

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This is my husband's favourite dish........I decided to do an exotic recipe for today. It is a very popular Turkish dish and when I'm there to visit in Izmir Turkey my husband's family makes this dish. It is served very often in homes and restaurants.
This recipe I got off this cookbook that I purchased called The Sultan's Kitchen, I use it quite often I love the recipes. I find that these recipes are very close to how my husband's family cooks so I have been using it more often...... otherwise being married so long I just now wing my recipes, but before they were all new to me as I had no idea about Turksih cooking whatsoever. But I do find that their food is very healthy compared to North American cooking, they use a lot of veggies in all their dishes and make them look like a work of art on the plate.

Turkish Meatballs [Izmir Köftesi]

Adapted from The Sultan's Kitchen (page 77)
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean ground beef or lamb
1 small onion, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 cups water or lamb/beef stock
2 medium green peppers, seeded and cut diagonally into slices

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the sauce first. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and water or stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, while you make the meatballs [köfte] so that the tomatoes boil down.

Combine the ground lamb or beef, onion, garlic, eggs, paprika, cumin and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. With moistened hands, mix the ingredients for about 2 minutes. Keep a bowl of warm water nearby to wet your hands while working. Shape the meat mixture into 20-25 oval balls.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat, add the meatballs [köfte] and lightly brown the meat all over (about 5 minutes). Place the meatballs [köfte] in an ovenproof dish and set them aside.

Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs [köfte]. Arrange the green peppers on top. Cover the dish and bake for 40 minutes.

Notes; In my photo as you can see I added some potatoes in chunks to it and mixed it with the meatballs and they all roasted together. When I do add the chunks of potatoes I add a bit more stock. This is how my Mother-in-Law roasts it sometimes with potatoes or without.

Here in my photo I didin't add any green peppers as at that time I didn't have any on hand..... but when I do use peppers I use the Cubanelles, they are the best for flavour.

This dish is good to round of with a salad and your meal is complete.

Oval Meatballs........sometimes I make round ones but the Turks I learned prefer the oval shape.

Ready to be sauteed.

.............ready to eat.

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