I was talking to one of my best friends in San Francisco last night and we were talking about how unpredictable life can be. One moment you are giddy and the next you are crying. You can plan out your entire life and then take one wrong turn and think it’s over, then all of a sudden you find yourself on a new completely unpaved path. Life is a series of ups and downs. It’s never perfect and it never will be, but that’s what makes life so interesting. As soon as you are on a roll, someone punches you in the stomach. Sounds terrible, but it’s so true! I feel like the whole point of life is to do what makes you happy.
I love to cook. The smells, the feels. It all just makes me feel so happy. Especially when I can cook with people I love. On the weekends the kids and I cook together. We pick out what we want to make, walk to Trader Joes, get all the ingredients then come home and start chopping. Lately Lily has been obsessed with meatballs. Well this past weekend we decided to come up with our own recipe and we made these with turkey since I don’t eat beef and we added fresh basil andddddddd the secret ingredient, spicy turkey sausage! Who knew!? The sausage adds an unexpected kick and by using the two different meats the meatballs stay moist and super flavorful. Add some sauce, and whip up some pasta and you have quite the dish.
So tying it all back together – I feel like the whole point of life is to do what makes you happy. Stay focused on what you want and only spend time with people you like. Life is too short to pretend, so don’t ever be afraid to speak your mind and use the word, ‘no’. It makes the yes’s even better. Have fun, be spontaneous, eat real cheese, and hopefully you find your meatball, there is one out there for everyone.
Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 large eggs (room temp)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon ketchup
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic (ran through a garlic press)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground dark turkey meat
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage (casings removed)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, milk, ketchup, salt, pepper, eggs, garlic, and chopped onions.
2. Add ground turkey and sausage meat and use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. DO NOT overmix or your meatballs will be tough. (haha, kinda funny)
5. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or melon scoop, form the meat mixture into 1 inch meatballs (48 meatballs).
6. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray with non-stick spray or greese with a small amount of olive oil. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet about an inch apart.
7. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny more kosher salt and black pepper and bake until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
8. Add your favorite tomato sauce (or make your own) to a large sauce pan, place all the meatballs in the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are completely cooked through. Serve with more parmesan cheese and basil leaves for garnish.
