FAB FRIDAY

The kickoff for the 2013 Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers is just days away. The stage is set, and the excitement around the world is building, especially since it pits coaching brothers John and Jim Harbaugh against each other. Can you imagine the next family get-together, if you are the loser?

But  there is a lot more to be excited about than just the game. How about the 30 new Super Bowl ads to watch and rate, Beyoncé is singing LIVE, and of course, I'm thinking about  all the delicious food I only allow myself to eat on Super Bowl Sunday? It's okay, I can go crazy and you can too. It's only for one day, for goodness sake.

It's nuts what advertisers pay for a for a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl. For me the ads are what I look forward to; they are usually the best ones we will see all year. After seeing clips for a few of the new ads airing Super Bowl Sunday.... my favorite is the Kia's "Space Baby"; it tells where babies come from. Who knew?

For Fab Friday I have a great recipe you can make that will be a hit with everyone watching the game, and beside, it's healthy and delicious. In case you didn't know the rule, there has to be one healthy dish that you serve on Super Bowl Sunday. That's absolutely true!

Scallion Meatballs With Soy-Ginger Glaze

Time: one hour

FOR THE SAUCE:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese or reduced sodium

1/2 cup mirin ( sweet rice wine) or 1/2 cup sake with 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger

1 tsp. ground coriander

4 whole black peppercorns

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

1 pound ground turkey

4 large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 egg lightly beaten

2 tbs. sesame oil

2 tbs. soy sauce

Freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil

1. Make sauce: Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat, stirring until sugar melts completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve. ( Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)

2. Make meatballs: mix turkey, scallions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and several grindings of pepper in a bowl. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls.

3. In a skillet over medium high heat, generously cover the bottom with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place meatballs in pan and cook, turning, until browned all over and cooked inside, about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange on a heated platter, spoon a little sauce over each meatball, and serve with a toothpicks.

Yield: About two dozen