Ginger Chicken Meatballs with Rice Vermicelli

One of the nice things about any recurring holiday (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) is that it gives you a virtual milestone at which you are able to sit and reflect on the goings-on of the past year. New Years is one of my favorites for this, and this year is no different. In fact, this year's might have been one of the best yet.

This past year included finishing a degree, climbing a volcano, getting a new job, and a cross-country move to a fun, new city. Of course, that meant leaving behind close friends who had grown into family (I DO miss you, Seattle friends!). But it also meant a return to my, ahem, biological family, best friends, and even a new and wonderful boyfriend (shout out, MM!). With all of the change and excitement this past year, I can only look forward to the upcoming year as I dream about all of the fun that the coming year will bring.

Enough about me, back to the food! This recipe was a modification, mainly because I couldn't find soba (buckwheat) noodles at the Giant, as the original recipe prescribed. According to my local Giant shelf-stocker, that "sounds like something Harris Teeter would carry." Good to know....!

The rice vermicelli tasted great and were a good substitute, but if you use them instead of soba noodles, I would highly recommend upping the amount of stock that you use because the vermicelli seem to soak up more liquid than their buckwheat counterparts. Regardless, the real stars here are the meatballs: they are moist, flavorful, and easy as could be. I might even make them as party favors to serve on their own!

Ginger Chicken Meatballs and Scallions with Rice Vermicelli
Adapted from Big Girls, Small Kitchen  

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken breast 2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
One 2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 scallions, minced
3/4 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon siracha
1 teaspoon salt

For the noodles:
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts divided)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 pound rice vermicelli noodles
2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Form into small 1 inch balls (you should get 24 or so), and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over a medium-low flame. Add the shallot, white parts of the scallions, and the ginger, and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the stock and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer until they are al dente, about 12 minutes, or as specified on the package. Add the broccoli for the last 2-3 minutes, or long enough for the broccoli to soften. Add the meatballs and the remaining scallions to the pot. Taste for seasoning: if lacking in salt, add more soy; if you like spice, add some siracha. To serve, ladle the noodles, meatballs, and broth into bowls and eat immediately.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

What's a girl to do when the weather cancels her plans? Why, yes, you're right. Find an indoor activity. A crossword puzzle, some terrible reality tv (could they please stop making these shows so that I no longer have to feel guilty for giving in to temptation and watching them?), and a mystery book later, I decided to head back to the kitchen. 

Seriously, I am loving the chance to do all this cooking. I am afraid, however, that my pants are going to endorse it a little bit less. Which means that either the weather needs to improve or some of you are going to need to step up to the plate and come over for dinner!

This chicken dish came together so quickly, I felt like I had to have missed something along the way! If you want to follow in the footsteps of PF Changs, you can serve this concoction inside butter lettuce or iceberg leaves. Since I didn't have any on hand, I just put it over mixed spring greens, and I can't say that I felt like I was missing out!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1 crown of broccoli, cut into small pieces

4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (the thinly sliced variety), diced into small cube-sized pieces
1/2 onion, diced into small pieces

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of cremini mushrooms, sliced (or any other kind of mushroom you have on hand)
ground ginger, to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons Sriracha (use more or less according to your spice preference)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped (white parts only)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add broccoli and saute until it begins to soften. Add the chicken, onions and mushrooms, and saute until chicken is cooked through. 

Sprinkle chicken evenly with ground ginger. Add garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha to the chicken mixture and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, scallions, and sesame oil and let simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture seems to thicken a bit and really come together.

Serve over lettuce leaves (or spring mix!).

Sweet Potato Hash with Golden Beets

Unlike my dear friends on the east coast enjoying 80 degrees of glory, Seattle still hasn’t quite gotten the memo that springtime is here. There have been hints of sunshine and warmth, but it’s still a daily gamble when it comes to the temperament of our meteorological forces. Ready to look Mother Nature in the eyes and say, “Go ahead, rain on our hike. I dare you.”, we set out to Mount Si today.

Eight cold, rainy (and snowy) miles later, I concede. Mother Nature, you win. Hope you had your laugh. I suppose it is Mother’s Day, after all. Now can it be summer?

After a hot shower and reminding my body what it feels like to actually be dry, it was time to make dinner. On tap: something relatively easy to put together, nutritious, and warm. This is so simple and so delicious. It can easily be made vegetarian by swapping the chicken for tofu or foregoing the protein completely. Any other mild herb like parsley or thyme would also suit this dish well.

Sweet Potato Hash with Golden Beets
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
4 golden beets, scrubbed and cubed
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch squares
2 tablespoons canola oil for cooking
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss cubed sweet potatoes and beets with olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender (about 30 minutes).
Heat the canola oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, another 2 minutes. Mix in minced rosemary. If you’re using raw chicken, add to the pan and cook until chicken is white throughout.
Add roasted sweet potatoes and beets, and cook until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Season to taste with about ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.