Thai Chicken Meatballs in Curry Sauce

an easy weeknight dinner

Hellloooo, foodie friends! Welcome back…..or, if you’re brand new to our foodie community, welcome!!

I’m Lisa….in case we haven’t met yet…..and, boy, what a week it’s been here in Seattle!

We’ve officially reached that time of year we affectionately call “Fake Spring.” The weather has reached 60 degrees!!!

(did I mention we started off the week with a massive storm that knocked out our power? the weather has been wild!!)

Look at that gorgeous blue sky!!

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Seriously, Lisa? 60 isn’t even remotely warm. And I get it. Trust me, I do. Before moving from Los Angeles to Seattle, I never would have thought 60 degrees was even remotely warm. When we first moved to Seattle, I’d still be wearing a sweater and probably a jacket and scarf, too….lol!

But after living in Seattle for almost 20 years, I’m thrilled when the sun shines and it reaches 60. If we’re lucky, today might even reach 63!

Yesterday, my hubby and I grabbed coffee and I got my very first iced latte of the year. I also wore a t-shirt. 😉

Everyone here is so friendly when the sun comes out. It’s like we’ve all been hibernating, and as soon as the sun emerges, we all pop our heads out from under our blankets, change into shorts and head outdoors. 🤣

(no clue why my captions aren’t working, but you can probably tell from this photo how excited I am to see blue sky! 😉🤣)

After we grabbed our coffees, my hubby and I took the long route home that takes us by the lake. I lost track of how many runners, joggers, walkers, people walking dogs and pushing strollers, and people in general, were out and about.

Everyone was smiling…..waving…..blasting music from their cars with all the windows down. The Seattle freeze we’re known for always melts as soon as the sun comes out.

Talking with Jane about our mutual love for warm weather (although I’m my happiest when temps reach 80 and I’m pretty sure she’d be happy for temps to stay in the mid 60’s), a similar thing happens in the UK. The sun is such a welcome relief in Washington and the UK from the seemingly unending and unrelenting grey gloomy rainy days of winter.

You do have people here (usually people who have lived in Washington their whole lives) who get a little grumpy when the sun comes out. They complain the reason they live here is for the gloomy….I mean the cloudy….days and rain.

Those are absolutely not my people….lol!

There’s something about the sun that gives me such a dopamine hit. It makes me want to abandon all work and my to do list, and spend the day outside…..reading my book and drinking iced lattes.

In fact, as soon as I hit “send” on this newsletter I’m off for a walk with one of my dearest friends. And, yes, there will be iced lattes, too.

The great thing about the Thai Chicken Meatballs in Curry Sauce recipe I’m sharing, is it’s equally delicious on a warm evening as it is on cold winter night’s. And, trust me, because this is Fake Spring, cold nights (and days) will be returning to Seattle. 😆

Earlier this week we had a massive storm that knocked out our power, so, instead of beautifully staged photographs, I have a couple I took hastily on my phone before it ran out of battery. Oh well!! Best laid plans, right?

A few notes on the curry:

• YES — you can make this recipe ahead of time! You can make the meatballs and curry early in the day and reheat before serving. You can also make them a day ahead — put meatballs and curry in a skillet and reheat gently.

• YES! The meatballs freeze beautifully! Freeze them in a single layer on a sheet tray, then store in a freezer bag or container. Thaw and then reheat them in your oven or on your stove.

• If you love spice — add more chili flakes.

• Instead of a bay leaf, use a kaffir lime leaf (found in Asian markets) for flavor.

• You can also cook the meatballs in the oven. Place on a sheet pan or baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-15 minutes, rotating once during cooking. Times will vary, depending on the size of your meatballs.

• Proper cooking temperature — use a thermometer to check and make sure internal temperature reaches 165 F.

Curry Add Ins:

For a one pot meal that also includes veggies, chop these up and add to the curry. Allow them to wilt into the curry sauce. This will happen pretty quickly for the spinach, Swiss chard leaves, but the kale will take a little bit longer.

• Spinach

• Kale

• Swiss Chard

Until next Friday…..Happy Cooking, friends!

xo

Jane and Lisa

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Thai Chicken Meatballs in Curry Sauce

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound (455 grams) ground chicken

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger if you don’t have fresh)

• 2 stalks green onions, minced (white and green part)

• Kosher Salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 egg, slightly beaten

• 1/4 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Curry:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 heaping tablespoon curry powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (if you’re not a fan, you can omit)

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 cup (240 ml) full fat coconut milk (for an even creamier curry use coconut cream)

• 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• Zest of 2 limes

• Juice of 1 lime (if 1 lime isn’t juicy enough, use 2)

• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

• To Make the meatballs: In bowl, mix ground chicken, garlic, ginger, green onion, salt and pepper, egg and panko until evenly combined. Use your hands for the best mixing — wash them first, of course, and if touching raw meat makes you squeamish use kitchen gloves.

• Lightly oil or wet your hands before forming the meatballs. The mixture will be sticky, so this will help you form the meatballs much easier.

• Form meatballs into even sized balls about 1-1/2 inches (4cm) in diameter. I like to use my hands to shape them, but an ice cream scoop or large spoon can also work.

• Heat a large oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the skillet and when it shimmers, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until browned on all sides, turning often. This should take about 2-3 minutes per side.

• Remove meatballs from pan and set aside on a platter.

• Make the curry sauce:

• In the same skillet over medium heat add more olive oil. Once heated, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the bay leaf, curry powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric and smoked paprika. Give it a whisk so the spices mix together. Cook the spices for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Toasting the spices is going to release so much flavor!

• Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and lime zest. Stir until combined. Bring liquid to a low simmer.

• Place meatballs back into the skillet and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.

• Taste to adjust seasonings and add lime juice and stir in chopped cilantro. Serve over rice or with crusty bread to scoop up all the gorgeous curry.