Tasty Tuesday: Thai Turkey Meatballs in a Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Meatballs are one of my favorite things, but I don't make them as often as I'd like. They're not as time consuming as some dishes, but they're also not something I generally feel like making after a long day at work or a busy weekend day running errands.

When I do make meatballs, I stick with the classic Italian variety a lot of the time. I mean, spaghetti and meatballs is total comfort food. However, I also really like to switch it up and experiment with different flavors. (And as I was writing that I realized that I've never posted a recipe for classic Italian meatballs, nor have I even posted any meatball recipes using anything other than turkey. I guess I'll have to change that at some point!)

Today's meatballs once again fall under the turkey category. And, as you probably guessed from what was said above (and the title of this post, obviously!), they're not classic Italian meatballs.

It's no secret that we love curry in our house. I've only posted a couple of curry recipes in the past (including the ridiculously simple Green Curry Chicken that is Eric's absolute favorite meal), but we make it quite a bit. We also get Thai and Indian food out a lot, and often order different types of curry at those restaurants.

Anyway, the point is that we love curry ... So obviously I'm always very open to trying new curry recipes at home.

I'll admit, though, that I really wasn't expecting to be blown away by this recipe. I thought it would be pretty good, but sometimes peanut sauces are too sweet or overpowering. I wanted to give it a try (mostly because we had all of the ingredients on hand with the exception of green onions, fresh cilantro, and coconut milk), but I didn't know if it would even end up on the blog. 

I have a few other recipes I made a while ago that I still need to post, but I bumped this one up to this week because it was that good. I felt like I had to post it immediately! 

The sauce wasn't very spicy at all (though you can certainly make it spicier by adding more Sriracha), and it was sweet without being too sweet. The flavors of the coconut milk, red curry paste, and peanut butter blended perfectly so that one ingredient wasn't overpowering the rest. Eric even commented that he liked that the flavor of the peanut butter wasn't too strong. You can taste it, of course, but it's not the only thing you'll taste. 

As far as meatballs go, this recipe came together pretty quickly. I read somewhere (probably a food blog, but I can't remember which one) that Asian style meatballs should be blended in a food processor instead of being mixed by hand like a more traditional meatball. I have no idea whether or not this is actually true, but I took that advice and mixed these up in my food processor. I was kind of worried that they wouldn't stay together as I was shaping them because they seemed pretty fragile (and wet and mushy, but that just sounds completely unappetizing), but they were fine after I baked them. 

The sauce was also really simple. It only uses a few ingredients, and is done in just a few minutes. (Clearly a win!)

Thai Turkey Meatballs in a Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Jo Cooks.

Ingredient List (Meatballs):

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3-4 green onions, white parts removed (You can chop these if you want, but since I mixed my meatballs in the food processor, I didn't bother. They'll get chopped up and mixed in with the rest of the ingredients so you really don't need to chop them yourself unless you're planning to mix your meatballs by hand.)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (Again, you can chop this up if you're planning to mix by hand, but otherwise I say be lazy and dump it into the food processor. Why do more work when your kitchen appliances can do it for you?)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions (Meatballs):

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, coat with cooking spray, and set aside.

3.  If you're using a food processor to mix the meatballs, add the ground turkey, green onions, fresh cilantro, fish sauce, red curry paste, Panko breadcrumbs, egg, sea salt, and black pepper to the food processor and blend until everything is combined. (This shouldn't take long.) If you're mixing the meatballs by hand, simply add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and start combining them with your hands.

4.  Once the ingredients have been mixed together, begin shaping the meat mixture into meatballs. I'm not great at making meatballs that are perfectly uniform, but I managed to get a total of 18 meatballs out of this.

5.  Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to keep them as evenly spaced as possible.

6.  Bake the meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and the meatballs are beginning to brown a bit. (30 minutes was the perfect amount of time for mine.)


Ingredient List (Red Curry Peanut Sauce):

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 14 oz. can coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk.)
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 heaping tbsp peanut butter (I used crunchy because that's the variety we always buy. I worried that it might make the sauce too chunky, but I really didn't notice the tiny pieces of peanut while I was eating so I think it blended into the sauce pretty well. You can kind of see the peanut pieces in the pictures, but, like I said, they didn't make the sauce too chunky or crunchy. I say use whatever type of peanut butter you normally like to eat.)
• 2 tsp Sriracha (You can always adjust the heat of the sauce by adding more or less. I know everyone's definition of "spicy" is a little different, but neither Eric nor I thought the sauce was very spicy at all at this level.)

Instructions (Red Curry Peanut Sauce):

1.  Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2.  Once the oil is heated, add the red curry paste and cook for about a minute.

3.  Add the coconut milk, brown sugar, peanut butter, and Sriracha, stirring constantly until the peanut butter, curry paste, and brown sugar have blended well into the coconut milk.

4.  Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Since it only takes a few minutes for the sauce to cook, you don't really need to start making it until about 10-12 minutes before the meatballs have finished baking.)

5.  Once the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and gently stir. Add additional fresh cilantro (if desired), and allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for about 3-5 minutes.

I served these meatballs over jasmine rice with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. So good!

Tasty Tuesday: Red Curry Lentils with Coconut Jasmine Rice

I feel like I've been sharing a lot of really meaty meals lately, so I decided to switch things up a bit this week and post a vegetarian meal.

I was a little nervous about making this because I'd never made lentils at home before. Well, okay ... I'd made prepackaged lentils with sauce, but that doesn't count. I mean, you literally pop those in the microwave for a couple of minutes and they're ready.

This dish required a little more effort than that, but it was still remarkably easy. As we were eating, I kept saying, "I wish I'd realized before how easy it is to make something like this myself!" It tasted much better than the prepackaged stuff, and it was probably a little healthier since it wasn't packed with preservatives.



If you're intimidated by the thought of making your own curry, don't be. This is ridiculously simple to throw together. You're also using a jarred curry paste for this dish, so it's not as though you'll need to purchase 500 different spices. I honestly felt like I used fewer spices in this curry than I have in some of the other meals I've posted!

I followed the original recipes pretty closely, but made a few adjustments to some of the measurements. This makes quite a bit of curry and rice, but the leftovers taste just as good (if not better!).

Red Curry Lentils with Coconut Jasmine Rice

Adapted ever so slightly from recipes on Pinch of Yum and Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredient List (Red Curry Lentils):

• 1 2/3 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over (If you've never cooked with lentils before, this just means that you'll want to sort through them and pick out anything that looks "weird." Apparently little rocks can find their way into packages of lentils, so if something is discolored or just looks a little "off," toss it.)
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (I like to use the Thai Kitchen brand. This can be found in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores, including Super Target.)
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 clove garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup lite coconut milk (I used lite to make it healthier, but you could also use regular coconut milk.)
• 1 14 oz. can tomato puree
• Fresh cilantro for serving

Instructions (Red Curry Lentils):

1.  Cook the lentils according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2.  Melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until slightly soft and golden.

3.  Add the curry paste, Garam Masala, curry powder, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper to the onion and butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

4.  Stir in the tomato puree, and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.

5.  Add the cooked lentils and coconut milk. Stir several times to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. (It's best to let the curry simmer as long as possible!)

6.  Serve over coconut jasmine rice (recipe below) and garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Ingredient List (Coconut Jasmine Rice):

• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 1 1/3 cups lite coconut milk (This should use up the rest of a 14 oz. can of coconut milk.)
• 1 2/3 cup water

Instructions (Coconut Jasmine Rice):

1.  Bring the rice, coconut milk, and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.

2.  Cover and reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly evaporated.

3.  Remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork.

This was seriously delicious. Eric even loved it, and he doesn't always love vegetarian meals. (To be fair, he did say "Maybe you could add chicken to this when you make it again," but then he admitted that it was really filling and tasty just as it was ... He just prefers meat with his meals.)

And, as you can see, it's a really easy meal to throw together. It's also pretty healthy, which is really important to me right now. September was kind of a "Fuck it, I'll eat and drink what I want!" month for me, so I really need to start focusing on eating a little better, cutting back on the alcohol, and getting back into an exercise routine. (But that's another post entirely.)

All rambling aside, you should definitely give this a try. If nothing else, it will prove just how easy it can be to make a (mostly) homemade curry!

Tasty Tuesday: Green Curry Chicken

The recipe I'm sharing today is a household favorite.  It actually might even be Eric's absolute favorite meal (that I make at home, anyway)!

I hadn't made this for a long time, though.  I think I've been so focused on trying new recipes to share on this blog that I've neglected recipes that used to be in our regular rotation.  I did share this recipe on my old blog, but, after making it again recently, I decided to take a couple of (slightly) better photos and share it on Divulge and Indulge.

Before I post the recipe, though, I want to share something funny/adorable that Eric does.

I'll also share a picture in hopes that you'll stick around for the actual recipe.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before on the blog, but Eric does the majority of the grocery shopping for our household.  He typically asks me for a list, which prompts me to search for new recipes I want to try (as well as consider recipes I've made in the past that we both love).  I'll then make a preliminary list on my computer (also listing my recipe sources so I can easily find them again and, of course, properly credit them on my blog), then add everything to the Our Groceries app.  If you've never used Our Groceries, I'd recommend it (and no, this isn't a sponsored post).  It's really helpful since you can separate the lists by store (for example, we have a Target/Hy-Vee list, a Trader Joe's list, and a Costco list), easily add and delete items, and, if you're like us and buy a lot of the same things on a regular basis, it saves those items so you can just type a couple of letters to quickly add them to the list.

Anyway, the point is that I make a list (after an absurd amount of preparation apparently), and he gets everything.  Sometimes, though, he'll get stuff that's not on the list.  That's obviously fine, especially since it's usually something delicious (like gelato or White Cheddar Cheez-its) or something convenient (like frozen skillet meals and pizzas that are a lifesaver on the nights we don't have time or energy to cook a "real" dinner).

Sometimes, though, I'll start looking through the kitchen and discover that he's purchased all of the ingredients to make the curry I'm about to share with you.  I think it's funny and kind of cute since it's a somewhat subtle hint that he really wants me to make it again.  It's not like he can't ask me to make it (he does a lot of the time), but I think he just sees the stuff in the store and thinks, "I should probably get this and then she'll want to make it soon!"

And it works.  I mean, seriously ... Buying things to make his favorite dinner and then casually placing them in the kitchen?  So cute.  (Not to mention the fact that this meal is quick, easy, and delicious!)

And now, without further ado (or further mushiness), I present to you the recipe for Eric's favorite meal!

This is one of those meals that's kind of difficult to photograph well, but trust me ... It tastes delicious!

Green Curry Chicken

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.


Ingredient List:

• 2 large cans of chicken, shredded or cubed (You could easily use 3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead, but that would obviously increase the cooking time.  I've always taken the canned chicken shortcut with this recipe, and it always tastes amazing ... So I'd say it really doesn't matter which you choose to use.)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 14 oz. cans lite coconut milk (I always use lite to make it a little healthier, but regular is also fine)
• 2 4 oz. cans diced green chilies
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 tsp cumin
• 6 cups cooked rice (We alternate between jasmine and basmati, but prefer jasmine for this recipe)

Instructions:

1.  In a deep saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the shredded/cubed chicken and season with sea salt and black pepper, cooking for approximately 3 minutes.

2.  Add coconut milk, diced green chilies, curry powder, Garam Masala, and cumin to the chicken and bring to a simmer.

3.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (The sauce will be fairly runny.)  Although it's not completely necessary to simmer the chicken and sauce for such a long time, I prefer to do this because I think it helps all the flavors blend a little better.

Please note that Eric and I always make a double batch of curry and rice and this recipe reflects that.  Since we both really love this meal (and it actually reheats well), we like to have plenty of leftovers.  If you don't want to make as much, just cut this recipe in half.

I always serve the curry over cooked jasmine or basmati rice.  (I used jasmine this time.)  I usually also serve this meal with a side of Tasty Bite spiced lentils (we like the Jodhpur and Madras flavors best) or Steamfresh vegetables.

As you can tell from the instructions, this is an incredibly simple meal.  Don't let that fool you, though ... It's packed with flavor!  It's obviously not an authentic curry you'd find in a restaurant, but it's delicious and something easy to whip up on a busy weeknight.