Asian Quinoa Meatballs

I can’t stop making healthy meatballs. They are the easiest meal to throw together when you want to be carb conscious and also, you like delicious things and do not want to eat another boring salad. I am on a bit of a healthy kick at the moment so stay tuned for more healthy meatball variations as I am sure there will be plenty more to come. I know a lot of these ingredients are things you may to have buy, BUT I use these a lot and also they are pantry staples that will not expire for a bit so do not feel like you will never use them again. I had a hard time shelling out for sesame oil and chili sauce the first time I needed them, but I use them all the time now!

what you need:

meatballs

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken I used lean turkey
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, slightly cooled
• 1/3 cup grated carrots, juices squeezed out these are also *optional* but I always like to try and add some hidden veggies to meatballs
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 garlic gloves, minced
• 4 green onions, whites and greens chopped and separated (WHITES ARE USED IN SAUCE)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce the jar with the green lid

sauce

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Scallion whites leftover from the meatballs
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon water

what you need to do:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or foil. If using foil, spray with a nonstick spray or grease lightly with oil.
• Chop your scallions and separate the whites from the greens, the greens will go into the meatballs and the whites are used for the sauce.
• In a large bowl, combine ALL of the meatball ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or your hands (hands work best, it’s disgusting, I know) mix until all of the ingredients are combined. You want to mix for a bit to make sure everything gets in there. Squish it good. Put this in the fridge for about 10 – 15 minutes after mixing.
• While that chills, in a small bowl, whisk together the chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sriracha, and ginger. Set aside.
• Grab the meatball mixture and use a cookie scoop to scoop out the meatballs and place them about 1/4 inch apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 – 14 minutes. The tops will get lightly browned and you can slice one in half to ensure they are cooked thoroughly.
• Now, we begin the sauce. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick pan and then add the scallion whites and garlic. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned. About 2 – 3 minutes.
• Add in the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• In the same small bowl you combined the sauce mixture, add in the cornstarch and water and stir until there are no lumps and it looks like murky water. Add to the sauce and stir to combine. This will thicken the sauce, and if you don’t have cornstarch or you don’t want the sauce to thicken, you can totally skip this but that is up to your preference!
• Once you remove the meatballs from the oven, add them to the sauce using tongs or a spoon, and gently move them around the pan and coat them with the sauce.
• Serve warm and use sesame seeds or extra green onions to garnish!