#315: Mini Chinese Meatballs, By: V

This has been the coldest winter Washington, DC has seen in over 20 years.  Needless to say, I  don’t think I’ve ever experienced frigid temps like we’ve been having.  This weekend we ‘spring forward’ into the next season, but we’re still seeing an on-and-off snow fall.  Crazy, right? 

Well, on Monday I met up with my friend R for a quick dinner, before a movie date she had that night.  R and I have been friends since high school, so it’s always great to meet up with her because we have that kind of comfort level where you can talk about anything.  We gabbed about friends and her new date over bibimbap bowls at The Mixing Bowl.  While neither of us had tried this small Tysons Mall spot, a friend of mine told me it offered super healthy option all in a convenient bowl.  I already love bibimbap, a convenient Korean rice bowl dish with meat, veggies and a deliciously spicy sauce, so this was a great option.  I ordered my bowl with brown rice, spicy chicken, radish salad, kale, kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage), cucumbers – all topped with gochujang (a spicy sauce made from fermented red chili, glutinous rice, soybeans and salt) and a fried egg.  When the egg breaks into the rice, trust me, you're immediately happy choosing this add-on!

This week I made some “mini” Chinese Meatballs.  I’m keeping the “mini” in quotes, because lets be real, I may have every intention of making something “mini,” but some times what you plan for doesn’t exactly come to fruition, and you end up with “medium” meatballs.  Either way these delicious meatballs make a great addition to noodles, soup, or just as a protein-rich snack or appetizer. 

The options are limitless, you could add lemongrass, oyster sauce or green onions to these meatballs as well.  But, I kept my recipe fairly simple and worked with what I had right in my kitchen.  I mean with the freezing temperatures who wants to venture outside, am I right?

Mini Chinese Meatballs

Ingredients:

1/4 cup grated yellow onion

1/2 tsp five spice

1 tsp crushed red chili flakes

1 lb ground chicken

2 medium-large crushed garlic cloves

1 tbsp grated ginger

1/4 tsp fish sauce

1/4 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsps olive oil

Directions:

1. First prepare the onion, ginger and garlic.  Use a cheese grater to grate yellow onion and ginger.  Use a garlic press or finely chop the garlic cloves.  
2. Place your ground chicken in a bowl.  Add the onion, ginger and garlic to the meat.  
3. Then add the five spice, red chli flakes, fish sauce and soy sauce.  
4. Incorporate everything together with your hands. (yes, time to get in there!)
5. Form the mixture into meatballs - the size can be your preference.  If you have difficult forming the meatball shapes, you can add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs or panko to the mixture to help them form easier.  
6. Pour olive oil in a pan on high heat.  Once the oil is hot add the meatballs in one layer. Cook in two to three batches, if needed.  Make sure you don't overcrowd.  Cook on high heat on one side and flip over.  Cook on the other side for one minute.  Then lower the heat to medium and cover; cook like this for two minutes to be sure the meatballs are cooked through.
7. Once you've cooked all the meatballs, return them to the pan and add 1/4 cup Thai ginger broth (or any broth).  Turn to high heat and cook covered for about three minutes.  Remove the lid and continue on high heat for two minutes until the liquid evaporates.