Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs

Okay, I know it sounds weird. But that is really kind of what grabbed me and made me want to make this recipe! I am sure my family wasn't sharing my curiosity though. Their faces said it all...."ummmm you are making what?"...."What is in that?"......"Oh, OK" I am sure I heard some rumblings about sneaking out to McDonalds too. But hey, they know me and what I do. They might not have signed up for this but they were definantly drafted!

I love chicken chow mien and this kind of reminds me of that. The whole wheat noodles give it a nutty taste and the meatballs....well all I can say (as I channel my inner Rachael) is YUMMMMMO!! Once the meatballs started cooking and you could smell that wonderful smell coming from the oven, people started thinking twice about the whole McDonalds thing.

When they were actually able to taste it they all had a new appreciation for my curiosity and the good things it can bring. I am thinking now I should have made a double batch of the meatballs, they are THAT good. They went so fast and then we just had a pot of naked noodles leftover, so sad. Not to say the noodles weren't good because they were awesome too. The soy and sesame oil together made a terrific combo and the veggies were perfect, not to crisp but not too soft. Seth took some over to his friends house to share with her for dinner and I just got a comment from her on my Facebook page saying that she loved them. She also complimented my Turkey Sausage and Orzo Stuffed Peppers recipe that you can find at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen.

I think this would actually make a good meal for a night when you are trying to find something to do with the leftover veggies in the fridge. You could use just about anything, asparagus, broccoli, peppers, onions, even thinly sliced carrots and celery could be used. So let your tummy be guided by my curiosity and give this one a try!

Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs

Salt

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti

1 pound ground pork or chicken (I used chicken)

1 egg

2 cups puffed rice cereal

Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, 1/3 palm full

8 scallions, 2 finely chopped, 6 cut into 2-inch lengths

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup tamari dark soy, divided

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 cups snow peas, thinly sliced on an angle

1 red bell pepper, very thinly sliced

2 inches ginger root, grated

4 cloves garlic, grated

1 pound triple washed spinach, leaves stripped of larger stems, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, available on Asian foods isle of market

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, available on Asian foods isle of market

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Place a pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it comes to a boil, salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente. Heads up: reserve 1/2 cup cooking water just before draining.

Place pork (or chicken) in a mixing bowl. Add the egg to the bowl. Place rice cereal in food processor and pulse into a bread crumb like consistency. Add cereal crumbs to bowl.

Add salt, pepper, five-spice powder, 2 chopped scallions and two tablespoons soy sauce. Mix the meatballs thoroughly. Form 1 1/2 in balls and coat with 1 tablespoon oil, scatter onto a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes.

When meatballs are close to done and the pasta is in, heat a large skillet (or wok) over high heat with enough vegetable oil to coat the skillet, a couple of tablespoons. Add the snow peas, red pepper, remaining scallions, ginegr and garlic, stir fry 2 minutes add spinach and wilt, 1 minute. Add the remaining soy sauce, about 1/3 cup, and the sesame oil then drain, add in pasta cooking water and toss to combine so pasta can soak up the sauce, about 1 minute. Garnish with the sesame seeds and top with lots of meatballs.

Serves 4

Switching Things Up In A Curry

Hello my fellow foodies! Hope this afternoon is treating you well. If you can tell I am in a wonderful mood! The sun is shining here in my little corner of Washington, and there isn't a rain cloud in sight. Oh happy day!!


OK, back on track, last night's recipe. Well last night was supposed to be recipe #57 Turkey Cutlet Parmigiano with Warm, Fresh Grape Tomato Topping, Pesto, and Mozzarella. Sounds yummy no? Well, we still don't know since Miss Forgetful over here forgot one of the ingredients for the recipe. Well actually I drank it. It called for white wine and I, not realizing I needed it for last nights recipe, drank the last glass of it a few nights ago. I guess that will teach me to pay attention right?


So here I am, in a bit of a panic, it is time to start cooking and I have no idea what I am going to make. My son Seth was here and his answer of course was to order pizza, ummm no. It was hard to explain to him that I am cooking every night so I can share the experience and information here on my blog. He just thinks I am crazy.


Now I grab my calendar and see what the next recipe is. OK, recipe #147 Italian Style Garlic Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and Thin Spaghetti. Sounds awesome......dang it....the shrimp are frozen....UGH....NEXT? Saturdays recipe, #40 Mostly Green Curry Chicken over Coconut Jasmine Rice. Do I have everything I need for it? BINGO gang we have a winner!! 


This was a wonderful finish to a crazy chaotic start. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. I have only cooked with coconut milk once before, a parchment wrapped chicken with veggies in coconut milk, and it just didn't do anything for me. But I jumped in feet first to get this one done, determined it was going to be good. WOW was I right! Not only was it good, it was fantastic! Kevin ate all of his bowl and finished mine, and Seth had quite a bit as well. I sent some home with him for Melissa because we both said it was one she would love.


I stayed close to the recipe on this one. I switched a yellow bell pepper for the green one, but hey the recipe said "mostly" green right? I used a large jalapeño pepper and finely chopped it. I am not sure if it was a typo or the step was just omitted for some reason, but it only says to cut it in half and seed it. Possibly I was supposed to use it in the cooking and then remove it before serving, but it didn't say that either so I made a judgement call. You know most of us here like things spicy so I was more than happy to have that jalapeño in there. 


I also added 1/2 cup cilantro instead of the 1/4 cup it called for. That was just because, well, I love, love, love cilantro so I couldn't help myself. With the scallions, I sliced about 5 or 6 because I used the green tops in place of the chives for the Aussie Meat Pie recipe. I like onions, so it worked well.


Last but certainly not least, the hot sauce. To me curry needs to have a bit of a bite. I don't mean it needs to bite your head of, but a little nibble at least is needed. The recipe says to use Tabasco to taste but, like I said in Aussie Meat Pie posting, I use Franks Red Hot or Sriracha. I used the Franks this time and a good amount. Probably about 10 to 12 shakes of the bottle. I made sure and salted well too. 


End result......total YUMMINESS!!! Kevin said this is definitely a keeper and I 100% agree. The picture isn't the prettiest but trust me the taste is GREAT!

Oh oops I also doubled the rice part of the recipe, we like starch in this family! I think it was a good idea and you will still have enough coconut milk.

Mostly Green Curry Chicken over Coconut Jasmine Rice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 13 1/2 ounce can coconut milk
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 4 6 to 8 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces.
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, cut in half and seeded
•  3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• zest and juice of one lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (a handful), chopped
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (a couple of handfuls), chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• hot sauce, such as (I say Franks Red Hot) Tobasco, to taste

 Directions
In a sauce pot combine 1 cup of chicken stock, 1/4 cup of the coconut milk, and the jasmine rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the rice covered until ready to serve.


While coconut jasmine rice is cooking, preheat a large non-stick skillet over high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces, spreading them evenly across the the pan, and brown chicken on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the last tablespoon of the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the green bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, and broccoli florets. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the veggies start to wilt. To the skillet add the remaining coconut milk and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and return it to a simmer for about 2 more minutes. add the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, scallions, parsley, and frozen peas. Stir to thoroughly combine. Simmer a minute more to heat the peas, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add some hot sauce if you like heat. Serve over coconut jasmine rice.


Serves 4

Curry Chicken