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By  Kathleen Neafsey

Let me start off by saying this is not my recipe – I’ve adapted it, and made it my own, but it did not start out as such. I walked into my nephew’s house one day to find his stunning wife, Brittany, preparing dinner for that evening and making these yummy, Asian-inspired meatballs.  Brittany passed along the original recipe, which can be found at skinnytaste.com  That being said, and all disclaimers aside, let’s start with the ingredients:

Meatballs

• 1 package (1 to 1 ¼ pounds) 93% lean ground turkey
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro (I like to keep cilantro paste on hand for recipes because the fresh goes to waste in my house before I can use it all)
• 2 scallions, chopped – tops and bottoms
• 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Dipping Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 scallion, chopped fine – tops and bottoms

Step One:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step Two:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the meatballs.  Shape into 12 balls and place in cupcake tin.  I was introduced to this meatball making tip by the BBE (Best Boyfriend Ever) and use it all the time now when making meatballs!

Step Three:

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  You can roll them around in their individual cups for even browning, but it’s not crucial.

Step Four:

While the meatballs are in the oven, it’s time to prepare the dipping sauce.  Whisk together the liquids:  soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, and water; then add the scallions.

Step Five:

Transfer meatballs to a serving platter and drizzle with one tablespoon of dipping sauce.  Serve with remaining sauce.

I like to serve these with white or fried rice and steamed vegetables.  They’re always a hit with my family!  Thank you Brittany McKinley for turning me on to these delicious treats!

Kathleen’s Kitchen is a column running on Kate-book.com once a month. It is written by the amazing Kathleen Neafsey, who loves trying new recipes. Follow her on Twitter @dbmomkat. And make sure to look out for her amazingly fun column, Fabri-Kate.