Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

Last week I was in the mood for Asian-inspired recipes.  I made this dish, homemade sushi and a fresh ginger cake (which wasn’t really Asian, but I had fresh ginger leftover from this meal).  This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but nice enough to spice up the weekend.  Fresh ginger is the key to the flavor hear.  If you haven’t worked with fresh ginger before, here is a nice tutorial on how to grate it :  http://www.ehow.com/how_4546475_grate-ginger.html  A microplane will come in hand for this, and for grating other things like fruit zests and whole spices like nutmeg.

Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs with Edamame and Snow Peas,  courtesy of Real Simple

makes 4 servings

• 1 1/2  cups  long-grain rice
• 1 1/4  pounds  ground chicken
• 2  scallions, chopped
• 2  tablespoons  grated fresh ginger
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil
• 1/2  pound  snow peas, halved crosswise (3 cups)
• 1  cup  frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/2  cup  low-sodium soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, scallions, and ginger. Shape into 16 meatballs.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs, turning, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the peas and edamame. Cook, tossing, for 2 minutes. Return the meatballs to skillet.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and sugar. Add to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Tip: To keep the ground chicken from sticking to your fingers, wet your hands before forming the meatballs.