<strong>Meatballs in Cinnamon-Tomato Sauce</strong>
(B. Irwin, Newhall, CA)
Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (I used a sweet, yellow, Mayan onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can of Italian plum tomatoes broken up (I used 1 can of crushed tomatoes)
1 4 inch cinnamon stick (I sprinkled ground cinnamon … 1/2 teaspoon??)
1 teaspoon drid oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground skinless turkey breast meat
1/3 cup of seasoned dry bred crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot cooked orzo (pasta in the shape of large rice grains)

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic;  cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes.  Transfer half of the onion mixture to a medium bowl; set aside.

2.  Transfer the remaining onion mixture to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.  Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, sugar and pepper;  stir well.  (urn it on to high heat to begin warming the tomatoes.)

3.  To the onion mixture in the bowl, add the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, and salt;  mix well.  Shape into 24 meatballs;  place on top of the tomato mixture in the slow cooker.  ( I pan-fried the meatballs first, because my slow cooker was not hot enough to cook the meat!)  Carefully spoon some of the tomato mixture over the meatballs.  Cover the slow cooker and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.  Discard the cinnamon stick.  Serve the meatballs and sauce with the orzo.

As with all meat and sauce dishes, this tasted GREAT the second day!!!

It’s a new recipe I got from a Weight Watchers cookbook, and I really enjoyed the mingled flavors.