The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs and Smashed Chickpea Salad

I love dishes like this because I never would have thought of this on my own.  And yet I love every part of it: turkey meatballs sitting on top of some mashed chickpeas.

Deb’s story behind this recipe is that she thought she’d found the elusive something new under the sun until she realized that what she’d actually come up with was a meat version of falafel.  Hey, if it were me I would count that as new and pat myself on the back for a month.

So easy for a weeknight.  Saute the meatballs and smash the cooked chickpeas in a bowl with spices, olives and olive oil.  The chickpea mash was a tiny bit bland so I would salt pretty aggressively.  I believe you could substitute ground lamb for the turkey and, if some pita pockets found their way to the table, you’d have a pretty amazing sandwich.

Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs and Smashed Chickpea Salad is on page 167 of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  They are also here from our friends in Montreal.