Slow Cooker Turkey Kofta

Is anyone else feeling like they need to take out a loan before they hit the grocery store these days? Just me?

If you’re wanting to scrimp on cost but not on flavor, this simple, slow cooked meal, adapted from a recipe by Ali Slagle, is full of healthy, inexpensive ingredients that pack a flavorful punch. My version served the two of us with plenty of leftovers for the next day, but you may want to double it if you’re feeding a crowd.

Ingredients:

1 lime

Overfilled 1/4 cup each chopped fresh dill and flat leaf parsley

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon each of coriander, tumeric and paprika

Salt and pepper

1 pound ground turkey

15 ounces of cherry or grape tomatoes

Instructions:

1.) Peel the lime rind into wide strips. Toss it in your slow cooker along with the garlic and 1/4 cup of water.

2.) Blend the herbs, yogurt and spices, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the meat and combine. Form about six meatballs. (They will be fairly large.) Add them to the slow cooker and dump in the cherry tomatoes over the top. Cook on low for about 3-4 hours.

3.) Move the meatballs to a plate. Remove the garlic and the lime peel and use a spoon to crush most of the tomatoes against the side of the pot. Squeeze the lime into the sauce and use salt and pepper to taste. Note: The original recipe called for seasoning with sugar at this stage, but I used grape tomatoes and I felt the sauce was just how I liked it without. If yours is too tart, a pinch of sugar might balance the flavors.

4.) Spoon the broth and tomatoes over your meatballs on a bed of rice (or couscous, or orzo… whatever sounds good) and garnish with leftover fresh herbs. I transferred the lime peel and the garlic into my rice cooker with a cup of basmati and threw in some kale to steam in the last few minutes. The result was a colorful blend of warm spices, fresh herbs and tangy citrus. Delicious!