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Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry Sauce

Posted in Savory, tagged , , , , , , on January 9, 2015| 8 Comments »

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

I know I’ve mentioned here– on several occasions– how much I love the meatballs from my childhood.  Today’s recipe is a meatball that I wouldn’t have recognized as a kid.  There was nothing ethnic about the versions we would gobble up in my early years.  Fresh ginger?  Nope.  Never had it back then.  Fish sauce?  Are you kidding me?  I guess these Thai meatballs reflect how different my culinary life is now with access to different styles of food and ingredients.  I still love those German meatballs from my childhood– I ask my mom to make them every time I get back to North Dakota– but now, I love this ethnic version as well.  In fact give me ALL of the ethnic food.  And make it extra spicy, please.

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

These meatballs definitely have some fantastic Thai flavors to them.  Fresh ginger and garlic are noticeable right from the start.  Ginger is one of those flavors that I can’t get enough of.  It brightens the food, and oddly, my mood.  Just smelling it puts me in a happy state.  The cilantro adds a vibrant freshness to them, as well.

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

The sauce is simple, but tastes extraordinary.  Using homemade chicken broth adds great depth.  The spices are subtle.  This is not an overpowering sauce and please keep in mind that it is not thick whatsoever– this is a thin, soup-like sauce.  The cinnamon, star anise, coriander seed, and cardamom marry perfectly with the coconut milk.  The beautiful color comes from the ground turmeric, which also imparts such a lovely flavor.  And though simmering for a half hour is wonderful, if you have even a bit more time, more of those wonderful flavors from the spices will be released.

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

A couple of things to think about.  I realize that not everyone can find kaffir lime leaves very easily.  I found mine at an Asian grocery store. And even lemongrass might be difficult for some, though decidedly more available than the lime leaves.  If you can find these items, just know that they can be stored in your freezer for future use, so stock up!  They are wonderful to use this way during the winter months and they add a brightness to your soups and meals.  However, if you’re living in an area that does’t carry these items, don’t fret.  Please, still try the dish and substitute a bit of lime zest (from 1-2 limes) in it’s place.  Though not a complete substitute, the flavor will get you there and you’ll still be able to fully enjoy this delicious meal.

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

We eat this meal with brown rice.  It becomes a nice bowl of goodness with the meatballs and the coconut curry all swimming in the bowl together.  It’s warm and comforting.  And yes, in my spice-loving opinion, I think you should add a few drops of sriracha sauce onto the top of your meatballs.  It is pure bliss.  Making Bánh Mì meatball sandwiches with the leftover meatballs, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and spicy peppers is a fantastic variation on this meal. Hope you enjoy!

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce | Relishing It

The Recipe: Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce

(makes 39-40 meatballs)

For the Meatballs:

2 pounds ground turkey (humanely raised)

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

5 garlic cloves, finely minced

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

zest of 2 limes

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free bread crumbs, if you prefer)

1 egg, lightly whisked

For the Coconut Curry Sauce:

2 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth or purchased

15 ounces coconut milk (not lite, please)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds (toasted, if you have the time)

6 cardamom pods

2 star anise

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

5 kaffir lime leaves

3 1-inch knobs of fresh ginger, peeled and bruised

2 4-inch stalks of lemongrass, bruised (green parts removed)

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper, to taste

extra cilantro, hot peppers, and sriracha sauce for serving

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine the meatball ingredients and gently mix together using your hands.  Try not to over-mix meatballs, or they tend to be somewhat tough.  Using a small scoop (1 tablespoon), form the mixture into balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  You will end up with about 39-40 meatballs. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.  This will give the flavors time to develop a bit.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  After that hour, place the pan of meatballs into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Place the coriander seeds, cardamom pods, and star anise into a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with cooking string. Gently pound on the sachet with a rolling pin to crush the spices a bit. This will release more of their flavors.

Meanwhile, start the sauce while the meatballs are baking, or just before they go into the oven.  You’ll want it to simmer for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to mingle, but if you have more time than that– great!  In a large 12-inch skillet with sides, or something similar, add all of the sauce ingredients, except the lime juice, to the pan. Place the sachet of spices into the sauce, as well. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a low-medium simmer with the lid on.  Stir occasionally.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Add the lime juice when the sauce is finished.  Adjust seasonings, if needed.  Place the meatballs into the sauce or keep them separate– your choice.  Serve with brown rice, cilantro, spicy peppers, and plenty of sriracha!  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from Feasting At Home

Thanks for stopping by Relishing It!

Laurie

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Asian-Inspired Meatballs

Posted in Appetizers, Savory, tagged , , , , , on January 31, 2013| 10 Comments »

Asian-Inspired Meatballs via Relishing It

Now we come to it.  The day when snacks and appetizers take center stage alongside over-hyped commercials and two football teams that I can’t– for the life of me– name.  That’s right, Superbowl Sunday is just a few days away!  Now my husband will tell you that the ‘Big Game’ on Sunday is actually Liverpool against Manchester City, but then again, he’s a soccer nut.  Even so, we’ll be hunkered down on the couch on Sunday night eating a variety of tasty appetizers.  If you haven’t planned out your Superbowl menu, I have a few ideas for you.  First, take a look at this incredible dip.  If you make it once, you’ll make it every year.  I promise.  And these pickled eggs are the perfect snack for beers with friends.  If you make them today, they just might be ready in time for the game.  This chili will please a crowd, and so will this one.

Asian Meatball Ingredients

But if you’re in the mood for something a little more exotic, give these fantastic Asian-inspired Meatballs a try.  I found this recipe on Ali Ebright’s blog, Gimme Some Oven.  While you’re waiting for the next commercial break on Sunday night, go on-line and check out her site.  It’s lovely.  I tweaked this particular recipe to suit my taste.

Asian-Inspired Meatballs via Relishing It

We generally eat these meatballs as a meal alongside brown rice or quinoa, served with a salad, but they would make a fantastic appetizer, as well!  The meatballs are packed with fresh, bright flavors from the garlic, ginger, and scallions.  But the real show-stopper is the Asian sauce.  It is amazing!  It’s slightly sweet, but also has a nice tang to it.  Fresh ginger makes everything better, right?  Hope you enjoy them as much as we have.  And whatever you decide to eat this weekend– have a great time surrounded by fun people.

Asian-Inspired Meatballs via Relishing It

The Recipe:  Asian-Inspired Meatballs

(makes 35-37 small)

For the Meatballs:

2 pounds ground beef or pork

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 heaping tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (preferably Panko)

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (about 3 large)

For the Asian Sauce:

2/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

Garnish with extra sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and sriracha sauce

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Line a large 12 x 17 baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs together using your hands.  Be careful not to over mix, as that will lead to tough meatballs.   Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop (or you can eyeball it) to form the balls.  Place them on the prepared pan and bake for about 17-19 minutes, they will turn a nice golden brown color  along the edges when done.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the asian sauce.  When the meatballs are done, you can either serve them alongside the sauce as a dip, or you can gently coat the meatballs in the sauce and serve them that way.  I like to warm the sauce up beforehand.  Serve the meatballs with sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and a bit of sriracha for an extra kick.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from Ali at Gimme Some Oven

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you all have a great weekend.  xo

Laurie

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Lamb Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce with Mint Chimichurri

Posted in Savory, tagged , , , , , , on February 15, 2012| 4 Comments »

If you’ve taken a spin through my recipe section, you know that I pretty much love any and all types of food.  But meatballs are one of my favorite bites.  Last year I wrote this post, where I confessed that when we get together back in North Dakota, my mother often makes four different styles for our family holiday meal.  I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I certainly have the experience.  These meatballs were a huge hit with my family.  My kids (gasp!) even loved them, and they are proving to be borderline vegetarian lately. I served them with a simple quinoa side dish, but couscous, rice, or polenta would also be wonderful.

For this particular meatball, I wanted to use non-tradional flavors– at least non-traditional for a German-Hungarian from the Great Plains. I was in the mood for an ethnic twist.  Here, I made lamb meatballs infused with beautifully fragrant spices.  The toasted cumin– which smells amazing, by the way– and the coriander really stand out in this dish.  And the vibrant fresh herbs are heavenly.  I also made a red-wine sauce, and simmered the meatballs to add richness.  Turns out, I like the sauce enough that I could drink it by the ladleful.  Finally, I topped the dish with a bright chimichurri.  It adds a nice zing that really makes every bite ‘pop!’

These meatballs are very easy to make.  And they’re loaded with flavor– not just some bland lump covered in sauce.  For this recipe, I used a technique that makes perfect meatballs every time– I bake them in the oven.  The result is a firm, evenly browned meatball that is succulent.  Not dry, but perfect.   Buy the best ground lamb you can find.  The quality of your meat will always be reflected in your dish.  Also, buy whole spices if you can.  Toast them, as it enhances the flavor.  Once they’re toasted, crush them with a mortar and pestle, or anything else that ends up giving you mostly-ground spices.  In a pinch, even placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin will work.  If you only have ground spices and don’t want to buy whole ones, don’t worry.

The Recipe:  Lamb Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce with Mint Chimichurri

(Serves 4 comfortably)

For the Meatballs:

1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon whole coriander seed, toasted and ground

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 pound ground lamb

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons toasted white bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper

Red Wine Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground

2 cups crushed tomatoes

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

1 heaping tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Mint Chimichurri:

1/4 cup packed fresh mint, roughly  chopped

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

about 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt,

1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon (a bit of lemon zest can also be substituted)

water to loosen chimichurri a bit, if necessary

(Note:  To toast the cumin and coriander seed, place them in a small skillet on medium heat.  Stir or toss frequently and toast until the seeds become very fragrant, a few minutes.  Be careful not to burn the seeds.  Remove from heat and let cool on a plate.  Then use a mortar and pestle to grind them.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a 12-inch skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil until hot and add the chopped red onion and garlic.  Saute for a couple of minutes until tender.  Add the tomato paste,  red wine, ground cumin, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper, to taste.  Bring to a boil, then immediately turn heat down.  Simmer for about 50 minutes with the lid on.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground lamb, ground cumin and coriander seed, mint, parsley, red onion, feta cheese,  bread crumbs, egg, garlic, kosher salt and cracked black pepper.  Gently mix with your hands.  Make sure to get everything incorporated, but being sure to not over mix.  Doing so will lead to a tough meatball.  Using a small scoop or form into balls with your hands,  drop onto the prepared baking sheet spacing them an equal amount of distance apart.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the edges of the meatballs are a deep golden brown.

Remove meatballs from oven and place in the red wine sauce.  Simmer together for about 20 more minutes so the flavors can incorporate.  If the sauce is too watery, leave the lid off and increase the heat, so the sauce can reduce.  If the sauce is a nice consistency already, simmer with the lid on.  When it seems to be done and the sauce is perfect, stir in the chopped parsley and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, using a mini-food processor (a blender or knife can also be used), add the mint, parsley, lemon, garlic, vinegar and salt.  Pulse a few times to incorporate.  Slowly add the olive oil — use more if you see fit.  Or add a bit of water to loosen the chimichurri.  Blend until smooth.  Taste.  Add more salt, if necessary.  Serve along with the meatballs and red wine sauce.  Enjoy!

I’m always delighted that you stopped by Relishing It  — thank you!  Have a wonderful day.

Laurie

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Italian Wedding Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , on March 27, 2011| 19 Comments »

Judging by my previous posts here (as well several others on Bliss), you probably think its all sweets at our house. Obviously I love to bake, and I generally agree that we shouldn’t deprive ourselves or our kids of these treats. Truthfully though, we eat healthy meals.  I  usually prepare something with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and/or legumes.  My husband can confirm that I probably make quinoa with chickpeas more often than I should.  Which brings me to today’s dish.  This soup is incredibly flavorful and healthy.

Meatballs?!  Yup.  Healthy soup with meatballs?  That’s right.  A little background:  I come from a German/Hungarian/Bohemian background.  From my childhood through today, whenever my extended family gets together for a holiday, we have four different types of meatballs.  Four!  I’m a connoisseur.  When I saw this soup– with it’s chicken meatballs (rather than the beef versions of our holiday meals)– I had to give it a try.

I’ve made a few variations on the meatballs in this soup.  They’re all fantastic.  Ground turkey (rather than ground chicken, as in the recipe) works just fine.  Also, if you can’t find chicken sausage, substitute an equal amount of ground chicken and add extra black pepper and one teaspoon each of sweet and sharp paprika to the mixture.  While each is slightly different, no one version is better than the others.

What about the flavor?  It’s amazing.  The meatballs, with their combined garlic, parsley, parmesan, and romano cheese are both savory and fresh.  Fresh may sound weird, but there’s really no other way to describe how the parsley affects these little meatballs.  The broth is incredible as well.  The dill stands out, but it doesn’t overpower the soup. The spinach really adds to the fresh-feel of this Spring dish.  Make it– you’ll be happy you did so.

The Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup

(Serves 6-8)

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed

2/3 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (Ina uses white)

2-3 teaspoons minced garlic (3 cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

3 tablespoons milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup minced white onion

1 cup diced carrots ( 3 carrots)

3/4 cup diced celery ( 2 stalks)

10 cups good quality chicken stock

1/2 dry white wine  (Note: If you don’t have any wine, the soup will still be delicious without it)

1 cup any small pasta, such as tubetini or stars

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed   (Use a little less if you feel this is too much for you)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.  You should get 40 meatballs from this mixture.  Make a round ball and score the meat into 4 equal parts.  You will get 10 meatballs from each of them.  Drop meatballs onto the pan with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large dutch oven or soup pot.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.  Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Stir in the fresh spinach and cook  for another minute, until it is just wilted.  Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.

Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cookbook

Thanks again for stopping by!

Laurie

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