now for something a little different - meatball kofta

Tired of turkey?

Had enough ham?

Yes, holiday leftovers are wonderful... everything tastes so good the next day, you can cram almost all of it between a couple of slices of bread for an impromptu Dagwood sandwich, and you don't need to cook for a few nights. But... sometimes I'm the victim of holiday "leftoverload" and I get a craving for more exotic flavors.

Meatball Kofta is truly one of my top 10 (well, at least top 20) favorite dishes. Hm, "top 20 favorite dishes" sounds like a good blog topic, by the way. *gets out notebook*

Depending on the recipe, Meatball Kofta is either Asian or Middle Eastern, and is traditionally prepared in a tagine. The beautiful part is that, although it would be rad to actually have the tagine, you don't really need it; a large skillet will do. The simple meatballs are simmered in a tomato mixture, then served over rice or couscous (or try it with spaghetti or fettuccine).

Meatball Kofta makes a quick and inexpensive change from the repetition of the usual rotation of weeknight suppers and just might become a new favorite of yours as well!

For the meatballs:

• 1.25 pounds ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey (or a combination)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley if you prefer)
• salt and black pepper to taste

Use your hands to combine all of the meatball ingredients together thoroughly, then form into small meatballs no larger than one inch in diameter.

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley if you prefer)
• salt and black pepper to taste

Coarsely chop and remove seeds from whole peeled tomatoes.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a tagine or large skillet. Cover and let simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to incorporate oil. If too thick, add a small amount of water.

Place meatballs in the sauce. Lower heat slightly, cover and cook until meatballs are thoroughly done (I like to allow them to cook for at least 30 minutes). Near the end of cooking time, uncover if sauce needs to thicken a bit.

This recipe does not make an extremely "saucy" dish - if you think you would like more of the tasty tomato mixture, double up! Serve with rice, couscous or pasta, and don't forget the crusty bread for dipping in those delicious juices.

Makes about 3 servings.