There’s so much going on in the world right now, I feel like I should have something profound to share, but in reality I’m still processing things. At work in my skilled nursing facility, they’re hoping that the last of our residents with Covid will test negative and be moved out of the Covid-Unit this week, so that’s exciting. We’ve opened up to accept new residents and short-term rehab, so the new policy is for new residents to be isolated in one wing for 10 days and then get tested for Covid before they can be moved into the rest of the facility. We’re hoping to begin using real dishes (instead of disposable isolation trays), starting with the first floor and gradually introducing it for the whole building (except for the Covid-Unit which will hopefully remain empty but will still be an isolation unit for when the next wave occurs).
Husband and I watched 13th, which was very eye-opening and well done. We’re also listening to 1619, which is a great podcast. Still lots of work to be done, and I’m still very much trying to learn about all the influence systemic racism has on our society.
So food hasn’t felt very important recently, but we’ve all still got to eat. These Greek Turkey Meatballs are about the only new thing I’ve made recently. They’re easy to make and perfect to stash in the freezer for later. I was especially excited to make these because I got to use fresh mint and oregano from our garden! I’m not a huge gardener, but trying to do a bit each year. This year I’ve got some containers full of herbs on the porch, and then we have 4 tomato plants and a sweet pepper plant. We’ll see how they do, because we also have a groundhog (named Stromboli) living in the backyard…
Greek Turkey Meatballs
Adapted from Let’s Dish
Makes about 40 meatballs
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs, minced (I used oregano and mint)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- zest of 1 lemon
- 4 oz (about 1/3 cup) feta, crumbled
Before you begin, wash your hands with soap and water.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with your clean hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, form balls about 1 1/2″ in diameter. If freezing, line them up on a baking sheet, and freeze for several hours before transferring to a freezer bag or reusable container to keep in the freezer (make sure to label with cooking instructions).
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450°F. Place desired number of meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
