Foodie Fridays: Porcupines

Photo by Cookies

One of our dogs suddenly became very ill last weekend, so much so that I had to rush her to the emergency veterinary hospital.  Fortunately, she seems to be recovered now, thanks to antibiotics and a bland diet.  Now that she is back on her usual dog food I have a lot of leftover rice.  I thought I would try a recipe for Porcupines I found in a mystery novel I just finished reading called Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames.  This cheese shop mystery series features Charlotte Bessette, who owns the cheese shop Fromagerie Bessette in Providence, Ohio, and who also solves local crimes -- if you love cozy-style mysteries the series is worth checking out.

Of course the recipe calls for some cheese as well as rice, but I like the fact that the Porcupines are made of ground turkey rather than beef (I have mentioned several times on this blog that I am allergic to red meat).  While I am making the version that calls for rice, any starch can be substituted -- bread crumbs or barley are suggested, and I often use oatmeal for this sort of dish.  The recipe includes a dip, but you could also serve them with pasta and sauce instead.  Oh, and don't worry, the recipe gets its name from the fact that the rice grains look like porcupine quills sticking out of the meatballs -- no actual porcupines are harmed in the making of this recipe!

From A Cute A Day

Porcupines

1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 C. cooked rice
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 T. chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg
Spicy Catsup Dip (below)

Combine all of the ingredients.  Roll the mixture into balls the size of walnuts.  Place the meatballs on a greased cookie sheet, spacing them evenly.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil for five minutes.  Remove from the oven and place the meatballs on paper towels to drain.  Serve with Spicy Catsup Dip, if desired.  Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main dish.

Spicy Catsup Dip: Combine 6 T. catsup, 1 T. Worcestershire sauce, and 1 T. horseradish sauce.  Serve the Porcupines as an appetizer with this dip.

Update: These meatballs are quick, easy, and tasty I will make them again, but I used ground turkey breast since that is what I had on hand and they were a bit dry.  I certainly did not need to drain them on paper towels!  Next time I will use regular ground turkey (with dark meat), or add a little oil to the recipe.  Some sautéed minced onion might be a good addition as well.