Lemon-Rosemary Turkey Meatballs

This recipe was a wonderful change from traditional Italian meatballs.  The flavor was really delicious and the lemon gave it a great Spring-like brightness.  It had a gravy-esque sauce which is also a nice change from traditional tomato or cream sauces.  I'd say it most resembles Swedish Meatballs but even that is a distant cousin.  I'm not a huge fan of rosemary but I have to say that it works in this recipe.  Eating Well also suggests that you can use thyme instead, if you please.  I served mine over noodles.  Because...as we previously discussed, I have a crazy stockpile of pasta right now.

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Lemon-Rosemary Turkey Meatballs
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Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 4 Servings (each with 3 meatballs and ~1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried, divided
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or substitute more chicken broth)
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Place onion, garlic and lemon zest in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried) and pulse just until the mixture is finely and evenly chopped (but not mushy).
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and gently mix in turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper until combined. Use a generous 2 tablespoons each to shape the mixture into 12 meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter). Place flour in a shallow dish and roll the meatballs in it to lightly coat. (Reserve the remaining flour.)
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add meatballs and cook, turning once, until brown, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add wine (or 1/2 cup broth) to the pan, increase heat to medium-high and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the can of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and return the meatballs to the pan along with the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried). Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a serving bowl.
5. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 8 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour in a small bowl (discard any remaining flour); whisking constantly, add the flour mixture to the sauce along with butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Serve the sauce over the meatballs on top of noodles or mashed potatoes.

Source: Eating Well , January/February 2011