Turkish Meatballs with a Cucumber-Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Servings: 12
Yield: 24 pieces
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 32 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
1 spray cooking spray
1/2 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
1/4 cup scallion(s), sliced
3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped, divided
1 1/4 tsp minced garlic, divided
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin, divided
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup cucumber(s), finely diced
2 Tbsp radishes, finely diced
1 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped

Directions
1. Cook or soak bulgur according to package directions; drain any excess
water and let cool.

2. Place oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat baking
pan with cooking spray.

3. Put beef, scallions, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, 1 teaspoon each of garlic
and cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, paprika, cinnamon and drained bulgur in a
large bowl; combine ingredients with your hands until well-mixed.

4. Roll meatball mixture into twenty-four 1 1/4-inch balls; place on
prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 to 12
minutes.

5. Meanwhile, to make dipping sauce, in a small bowl, combine yogurt,
cucumber, radish, dill, remaining tablespoon of cilantro, and remaining 1/4
teaspoon each of garlic, cumin and salt; mix well.

6. To serve, place meatballs on a serving platter with toothpicks and spoon
sauce into a small bowl.

Yields 2 meatballs and about 1 1/2 tablespoons of sauce per serving.

Notes: You can form the meatballs up to 6 hours before cooking this recipe
and keep them refrigerated until you're ready to cook them. The dipping
sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead, too, but stir in the cucumber and
radish just before serving.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings.


--
Will~

“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react
to it.”
Charles R. Swindoll