By Melissa Pette

We are celebrating that this year Thanksgiving is now included with the end-of-year holidays in Costa Rica. Let's cheer up our minds, our hearts and our tables to give thanks on Thanksgiving.

This month we are cooking turkey recipes like these Turkey- cheese meatballs, delicious, easy and not expensive at all.

Turkey- cheese meatballs

Remember, the ingredients can be easily found at any Costa Rican supermarket. For four people you will need:

• 500g turkey breast.

• 4 portions of gouda cheese (as 4 small slices of cake).

• 1 minced white onion.

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

• 4 small tomatoes.

• 4 black olives.

• 1 egg.

• 1/2 cup of powdered bread.

• 1/2 glass of milk.

• 1 glass of white wine.

• 1 cup of tomato sauce.

• 1/2 glass of water.

• 1 tablespoon cornmeal.

• 1 cup wheat flour.

• 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley.

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil.

• 1 teaspoon salt.

• 1 teaspoon pepper.

• Aluminum foil.

• 1 bottle of sparkling white wine. This is the most important ingredient.

In a pan, add a bit of oil, garlic, and onion. Cook over low heat until the onion crystallizes. Then save it for later.

In a bowl add the milk and the powdered bread. Then let it rest.

The turkey. Chop the breast into small pieces, then blend the meat with a dash of oil. 

In a bowl, add the ground meat, a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes chopped into small squares. Add half the parsley (or coriander), add the chopped olives. Then add the onion that we had cooked before. Add the milk with bread and the powder that we had earlier prepared. Add the egg and mix it with your hands.

You should get a soft but not very moist meat dough. If you have mill residue, drain and mix again.

Make 8 meatballs the size of tennis balls with your hand.

In a bowl, add the wheat flour and roll the meatballs over it.

In a pan, add oil and fry the meatballs.

Then on the baking sheet, line it with aluminum foil. Place the meatballs. Bake at 200º C (or 392º F) for 5 minutes to complete cooking inside.

Now, the sauce. In a saucepan, cook the tomato sauce and white wine for 5 minutes. Until the wine evaporates and the sauce is thick.

Thin a tablespoon of cornmeal in cold water and add it to the sauce. Cook for five more minutes over low heat.

The cheese. Cut the cheese into slides. Mix the cheese with the powdered bread. Fry the cheese for a minute until the bread topping turns a golden color.

Place two or three meatballs on a dish, add the tomato sauce on top of each meatball. Add the fried cheese and to decorate with the parsley or coriander. And there you have it! Our Thanksgiving Day turkey is ready!

And what are we going to do with the bottle of sparkling wine? Drink it ...... Salud!

Have a Pura Vida Thanksgiving!

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Everyone is invited to share their recipes with a horizontal photo of the dish by emailing food@amcostarica.com More delightful recipes can be found on the AM Costa Rica Food page.