(meat)Ballin'

Can we talk about meatballs for a sec? I know it's weird but just hang out with me for a minute and we can discuss all manner of ground meat mixed with veggies and herbs and spices and baked up to perfection.

I love meatballs. There's so much to love that I made a list about what is so great about them. Ready?

1. they're like cute little bite-sized meals
2. they go with everything
3. they're perfect for dipping
4. you can eat them in the car without making a mess of yourself (usually)
5. with a big batch stashed in the fridge, you can pair them with a fried egg and some fruit for breakfast, some chopped veggies and paleo mayo for lunch, or with some tasty baked sweet potatoes for dinner.

I make a big ole' batch of meatballs at least once a week, and since I started Crossfit, I've loved having them on hand even more. I'm a big believer in making sure I get a good pre-workout and post-workout meal, and meatballs make it stupidly easy to make sure both of those things happen. My pre-workout meal is usually a half-meal-sized portion of protein and some fat (usually olives or coconut), and my post-workout meal is another half-meal-sized portion of protein all by itself with LOTS of water. Crossfit makes me sweat like a beast. Super lady-like.

Gyoza Meatballs. It's all about the presentation....unless you're eating your meatballs out of a ziplock bag while driving home from Crossfit totally exhausted and drenched in your own sweat. 

Today, I made up a double-batch of Melissa Joulwan's Gyoza Meatballs. If you're not familiar with gyoza, they're the savory delicious steamed dumplings served at awesome Japanese restaurants. They're awesome, but less-than-paleo with the starchy dumpling dough that the tasty meat is nestled into. What's a paleo girl to do? Skip the wrapper! The recipe is below, and it couldn't be easier - mix all the ingredients together (do yourself a favor and take the meat out of the fridge a bit before you make the meatballs - I love mixing in all the ingredients with my hands, but mixing cold meat makes for sore fingers afterwards). I use a cookie scoop to measure out even amounts of the meatball mixture, which ensures even cooking. Here's a quick roundup of some of the best meatball recipes I've tried:

Gyoza Meatballs - fantastic with the dipping sauce!

Asian Meatballs  - the cubed up sweet potato in these make them especially hearty

Moroccan Meatballs - these would be amazing with a mint dipping sauce

Chicken Pesto Meatballs - these are great if served over sauteed zucchini (I've had it for breakfast, and let me tell you, it's hard to beat that first thing in the morning)

Southwest Meatballs - you had me at cilantro dipping sauce!

Turkey Cranberry Meatballs - a little taste of Thanksgiving any time you want. I do like these once in a while, but they can be a teensy bit on the dry side. I recommend pairing them with some paleo mayo!

I highly suggest giving these a try one day this week! They all come together quickly, and reheat quickly in just a couple of minutes under the broiler (or alternately you can simmer them in some chicken broth to ensure they don't get too dried out!).

Happy Meatball Making!