I can remember a point in my life when I would say, "Corn is not an ingredient!" It was actually a subject I felt pretty passionate about. To me corn was a side dish that went along with mashed potatoes, not a part of soup or salsa. What in the world was I thinking? I can't tell you why I thought that or what changed, what I do know is that now I love it! Especially when paired black beans and cilantro. Yum!
That combination of corn, black beans, and cilantro was one of the reasons I loved this meal so much. But really, it's one of those meals that is an all around winner. It's healthy, it's filling, it's quick, and it's easy. I knew the moment I saw the post on Rachel's blog (Good Thymes and Good Food, fun blog name, huh?!) it would be a hit in my house and it was.
Southwest Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
1 cup corn (frozen or fresh cut off the cob)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed well
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
juice & zest of 1 lime
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup panko crumbs
1/2 tsp onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ c. chicken broth
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime (juice and zest), cumin, and cilantro. Lightly season with salt and pepper, set aside.
In another bowl, using clean hands, combine the ingredients for the meatballs (turkey, egg, panko, onion powder, salt and pepper). Shape into 16 meatballs, about the size of a golf ball.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they are evenly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes with frequent turning. It's OK if the meatballs aren't fully cooked through, they will continue to cook, you're mostly looking for browning.
Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits. Add the tomato mixture and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through and meatballs are fully cooked.
Serve over rice (brown rice keeps it healthy!) with extra cilantro and cheese for garnish.
Adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food, originally from Clean Eating Magazine