Mighty, Mighty Meatballs – Asian Chicken Meatballs

Greetings all! Hope everyone had a lovely Easter Holiday as well as Spring Break. After taking an unplanned blogging hiatus, I’m pleased to be back with a real winner of a recipe to share. These little lovelies are so amazing that I just can’t wait to make them again. What’s so special about a meatball, you ask? Well, these little orbs surprised me in a big way ... they taste very similar to the filling found in pot stickers! Not to be confused with dense dunkers, these Asian Chicken Meatballs boast both light and varied texture as well as a mighty flavor. Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients and assembly instructions. I’m convinced that they would behave wonderfully with a variety of substitutions and would fit in marvelously with a variety of presentations. I served mine appetizer style, but they would be perfect over rice or wrapped up in lettuce cups or even in a noodle soup. Yum. Yum. YUM! Oh, my method is gluten free, but of course you could use whatever you have on hand.Here we go. For the meatballs:

1 lb ground chicken
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced onion (you could substitute green onion)
2 tablespoons chopped water chestnuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (you could use mint – I’m not a mint fan)
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon grass paste (can substitute lemon juice)
1 teaspoon ginger paste (can substitute minced ginger or powder)
1 shake hot sesame oil
Couple shakes red pepper
Salt and Pepper
2 packages gluten free crackers, crushed (about ¾ cup) – can use regular crackers

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the garlic, onion, water chestnuts, cilantro, soy sauce, lemon grass, ginger, sesame oil, red pepper, salt and pepper. Add the ground chicken and the crushed crackers. Combine lightly, but thoroughly. Using a large spoon, scoop out spoonful of meat and form into walnut sized meatballs. Continue until all the meat is formed into meatballs, about 20.

Heat up your grill. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches, carefully drop the meatballs into the boiling water and boil uncovered for 5-6 minutes. Remove and let drain on paper towels. Grill over medium heat about 4-5 minutes per side, or ... hehe ... use your handy, dandy George Foreman grill! (Hey Marjie ... I couldn’t resist getting one after you posted your panini sandwich! Plus, any appliance with a first name is way too cool! I got a no-frills version and it performs just lovely. For these meatballs, they cooked a total of 5 minutes since the top and bottom grill simultaneously.) Keep an eye on the meatballs because there is virtually no fat in them.Serve with your favorite sauce ... teriyaki, peanut, etc. I made a simple teriyaki out of gluten free soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. It complimented these meatballs perfectly.Aren't these sweet? These are just so amazingly good! I like the crunchy texture that the water chestnuts provide; however, if you prefer a smooth meatball, just whip everything up in the food processor instead of mincing by hand. I was so pleased with these little babies. They had great eye appeal, too. These go on the “repeat” list at my house! Mighty, mighty meatballs ... mmm, mmm, good!
--------------------------------------
On a side note, kudos to my 7th grade daughter who won first place in the regional science fair, chemistry/earth science division! Well done, my sweet! I'm so proud! You go, girl!