Foodie Friday – Coconut Red Curry Meatballs
Hello. My name is Jenny and I am one of the friendly faces at the front desk of Redefined Health.
I enjoy the process of creating a delicious, healthy meal to share. I am an organic farmer in the making, love being outside & active, and I enjoy making and selling personal care products. I am passionate about health and human rights and like to spend time with family and friends.
This past fall I embarked on some major lifestyle changes to improve my health. My go-to recipes were thrown out the window when I discovered allergies to foods I ate every day … garlic, dairy, black & kidney beans, gluten, beef, pineapple and eggs, to name a few. I used to put garlic in every supper with rare exceptions, so the thought of a garlic-void palate seemed unthinkable. I went home that first day I found out about the allergies fighting panic. I was given wise advice to avoid looking in the fridge and cupboards thinking, “There is so much I can’t eat in there!” I started out slow to make changes manageable. I’ve embraced the challenge of finding new dishes to enjoy and hope to share them with you every Friday!
This recipe, inspired by Tammy Credicott in her book Make Ahead Paleo is easy and tasty to make. I’ve made a revisions and converted it from a slow cooker recipe to one you can whip up after work. I know you’ll enjoy it!
Coconut Red Curry Meatballs
The Meatballs:
- 2 pounds of organic, higher welfare ground pork or chicken or a mix of both
- 5 organic green onions, chopped
- 1 TBSP organic sesame oil
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 TBSP organic apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP organic coconut oil
- 2 organic garlic cloves or substitute 2 tsp organic dried onion
- 1 TBSP organic grated ginger root (One of my favorite ginger tips is storing this fresh root in the freezer and grating it frozen as needed. That way I always have it on hand for when I need it.)
The Sauce:
- 1 can organic coconut milk
- 1/2 c organic chicken broth (or 1 organic chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 1/2 c water)
- 1 tsp red curry paste
- 1 TBSP organic lime juice, freshly squeezed tastes best!
- 6 organic basil leaves, chiffonade (roll up basil leaves and slice to make shreds of basil)
The Fresh Toppings:
- 1 small organic zucchini, julienne
- 1 red, yellow or orange organic bell pepper, chopped
- 1 c organic sugar snap peas, chopped
Make It:
- Starting with a mixing bowl, add all the meatball ingredients except the coconut oil, and combine well with your hands.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet to medium.
- Form meatballs with your hands, and place them in the skillet. Leave space between them for even browning. You should end up with around 36.
- Turn the meatballs every two minutes until browned on all sides. If you need to cook the meatballs in a couple of batches, that is better than overcrowding.
- While the meatballs are browning, use a separate bowl to combine all the sauce ingredients except the basil leaves and fresh lemon juice.
- Mix thoroughly to ensure red curry paste is fully incorporated.
- Using the skillet you have browned the meatballs in, add the sauce and any meatballs you browned in batches. Stir gently to incorporate the flavorful browned bits on the skillet.
- Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.
- While the dish is simmering, cook rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice to serve.
- Wash and cut your fresh vegetables to top the dish and place them in separate bowls.
- Just before serving, squeeze in the fresh lime juice and add the fresh basil to the meatballs, stirring gently to combine.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice and garnish with fresh crunchy vegetables for amazing flavor and texture.
Serves 4. Enjoy!
Jenny