I adapted this recipe from a recipe my sister Karen gave me for Sesame Soy Meatballs.  I didn't have all the right ingredients, so I made my own version of what I'm calling Asian Meatballs.  They came out really yummy and my kids loved them.  I served them with orzo and string beans. 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil


Preparation:

Mix together first 6 ingredients until combined.  Add ground turkey meat and mix gently with soy mixture.  Mix in panko bread crumbs until combined. (I added panko to help bind the meatball mixture because turkey meat tends to be loose, if you use ground beef you can omit the bread crumbs). Wet hands and form into balls.  Heat a 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet and cook meatballs until browned on both sides.  Place meatballs on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 -15 minutes to finish cooking.
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I have been trying to eat less carbs and fat. These meatballs are virtually carb free. But the little bit of carbohydrate is in the form of oat bran which is a very healthy grain and is said to help in weight loss. I love spicy marinara sauce so I was happy to find a jarred Arrabbiata sauce in the grocery store that was very low in sugar (only 3 grams per serving). The key is to use a lot of spices to add flavor. I went heavy on the garlic powder. The meatballs are really delicious and the look pretty with the bright green spinach laced throughout. You can substitute, beef or turkey ground meat for the chicken

Ingredients:

1 jar of arribbiata sauce (I used Bella Familiga)
1 lb. ground chicken (you can use beef or turkey too)
1/3 cup of organic oat bran
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained


Preparation:

Simmer sauce over medium heat. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Roll into balls and drop into simmering sauce. Cook in sauce for approximately 30 minutes.

*note....The meatball mixture will be very soft. Roll carefully and drop into sauce trying not to touch the other meatballs. If you can't fit them all in at once, wait about 10 minutes for the meatballs to firm up and then you will be able to move them around to make room for more meatballs to drop in.
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These meatballs are no joke. We grew up on this particular meatball recipe and we all still use it today (well, not Susan since she now has a kosher home). My mom never stuffed the meatballs with cheese so this was a little twist on the original. I served it recently at a Sunday dinner and everyone loved them. I think it is a must try.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 C. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
1 T. parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 C. milk
2 eggs
salt and pepper
mozzarella cheese cut into small chunks

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients. Roll into balls and one at a time, flatten ball in your hand. Place a piece of cheese in center of flattened ball. Form ball around cheese and roll tight. Place in a baking dish and brown in the oven for approximately 45 minutes (cook times will vary depending on the size of your meatballs. I made very large meatballs). Remove from oven when cooked through and add to marinara sauce.
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This is the best picture I'm going to get because my husband decided to eat one when I was in the middle of styling and I walked away for half a second.  He said...."who's eating these??" as he rolled one in the sauce. UGH!

Ingredients:
1 Can(16.3 ounce size) large refrigerated biscuits (I've also used pizza dough)
8 frozen cooked Italian meatballs, thawed, each cut in half
2 sticks (1 oz size) string cheese, each cut into individual pieces
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup spaghetti sauce, heated

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Separate dough into individual biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each biscuit layer to make a 3-inch round. Place 1 meatball half, cut side up, and 1 string cheese piece in center of each dough round. Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal. Place seam side down in a single layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch round pan. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center. Remove from pan.

Serve warm with warm spaghetti sauce for dipping.

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