Asian Turkey Meatballs with Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce

I really like teriyaki sauce. I used to really like the one Soyaki from Trader Joe’s and while there are some gluten-free teriyaki sauces available, there aren’t any that aren’t too sweet and with the chunks of garlic and ginger. To remedy this random and very specific teriyaki craving, I decided to make my own! And as far as I can remember this was a pretty close replica of the teriyaki sauce I’ve been missing.

I also recommend baking your meatballs. Baking them makes way less of a mess to clean up and it’s healthier than frying them too.  I served my meatballs with brown rice and spinach sautéed with garlic. The teriyaki sauce was fantastic with the rice and spinach as well as the meatballs.

 

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pound extra lean ground turkey
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1+ teaspoon sriracha or asian chile sauce
• 1 egg

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup gluten free, low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 3+ cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon water

Instructions

For the Meatballs:

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, combine turkey, carrot, green onions, cilantro, breadcrumbs, chile sauce and egg. Gently mix to combine and form into 1 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs.
3. Place meatballs on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.

For the Sauce:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce, except for the cornstarch and last tablespoon of water, in a saucepan on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. When sugar is dissolved, mix 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Heat sauce on medium high heat and add cornstarch water mixture. Simmer until thickened

Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken (gluten free!)

My wonderful friend Andrea introduced me to this meal when I was visiting her and her husband in DC last summer. It was love at first bite. She also introduced me to my first food blog (Smitten Kitchen), so I really have a lot to thank her for. This recipe also happens to be from Smitten Kitchen (did everything just come full circle?).

This meal is one of my all-time favorite summer time dishes. The ingredient list and instructions might look a bit long and daunting, but once all the chopping and slicing is finished, it’s pretty easy to get together. I will be quite honest and admit there are a few things in here that I would never be caught eating by themselves (I’m looking at you cucumbers!), but put them all together with some peanut sauce, cilantro, and lime, it’s hard not to like everything in this meal.

Despite my reservations about cucumbers (and bell peppers too), I left the recipe nearly all the same, except for using chicken breasts and all gluten-free ingredients. I also used more cilantro than mint and basil, but that’s just because I love cilantro (I’m lukewarm on basil and barely acquaintances with mint). Luckily, just about everything in this recipe can be adjusted to every individual taste. When you serve this delicious meal up, it’s kind of like a noodle-taco bar scenario. Everything is prepared separately and you get to pick and choose what you do and don’t like, which makes it good for a small crowd. And I am happy to report that this meal is one that gets better with age. The leftovers are even better than the original meal!

Gluten Free Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

For the Dipping sauce:

• 6 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• Small Thai or Serrano chile, thinly sliced, to taste (jalapeño works too)

For the Peanut dressing:

• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 9 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 one-and-a-half inch chunk ginger, peeled and sliced
• 6 tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• Pinch of cayenne

For the Chicken and noodle salad:

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
• 8 ounces dried rice vermicelli or other rice noodles
• 2 small cucumbers, cut in 1/4-inch half moons
• 2 medium carrots, cut in thin julienne
• Additional vegetables, as suggested above
• Small handful basil or mint or cilantro sprigs, or your favorite of the three (torn or roughly chopped)
• 4 or more scallions, slivered
• 1/4 cup crushed or chopped roasted peanuts
• Lime wedges (to serve)

Instructions

Make the dipping sauce:

1. Whisk ingredients in a small serving bowl, making sure to dissolve the sugar. Leave to ripen for 15 minutes. Refrigerate any extra and use within a few days.

Make the peanut dressing:

1. In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients to a smooth sauce, about the thickness of heavy cream. Pour into a serving bowl.

Marinate the chicken:

1. Stir together 1/2 the dipping sauce and 1/3 the peanut dressing (you can eyeball this) in the bottom of a low-sided bowl or dish. Add the chicken to the mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate at least 15 minutes.

Cook the noodles:

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then turn off the heat. Add the rice vermicelli and soak for 7 to 8 minutes. (Package directions may vary; check for doneness by tasting.) Drain when noodles are al dente, and cool under running water. Fluff and leave in strainer to drain well.

Cook the chicken:

1. Grill the chicken on an outdoor grill, a stove-top grill pan, or run under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Let cool slightly, then chop roughly into 3/4-inch pieces.

To serve:

1. At this point, you can place everything on a large serving platter, with piles or small bowls for noodles, vegetables, chicken, the dressing and marinade and toppings (peanuts, herbs) and let your family and friends put it together in their own bowls as they wish.
2. Or, you can assemble it for everyone as suggested:Toss vegetables with 1 tablespoon dipping sauce in a small bowl. Divide the cooked noodles among 4 to 6 bowls. Top each bowl equally with vegetable mixture and chopped chicken. Toss each bowl with 2 teaspoons of each the dipping sauce and dressing, or more to taste (we wanted more). Add the herbs, peanuts and scallions to each bowl and serve with additional dressing and dipping sauce on the side.

Gluten Free Drunken Shrimp with Veggie Fried Rice

Sticking with this week’s loosely Asian inspired theme, this is a fairly quick , easy and very delicious recipe.

The shrimp stir-fry makes for a quick meal and is great for a weeknight meal. These shrimp are absolutely delicious. I thought the shrimp and their sauce was the perfect topping for the fried rice, but noodles or even a salad could work just as well. I used this recipe to clean out my vegetable door. I just used whatever I had on hand, but you can use any veggies you want.

Gluten Free Drunken Shrimp with Veggie Fried Rice
Shrimp adapted from this recipe from Chow.

Ingredients

For the Rice:

• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 large onion (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 white to clean out the fridge)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• 10 green beans or snap peas, chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 2-3 Tablespoons gluten-free Tamari
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesames

For the Shrimp:

• 3 Tablespoons low-sodium gluten-free Tamari sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed (seeded if you don’t like spice) and thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layer removed and cut into 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup vodka

Instructions

For the Rice:

1. Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Add sesame oil. When oil is heated onion, garlic, bell peppers, peas and carrots and sauté until tender.
2. Add the rice to the veggie mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Top chopped green onions and sesame seeds and serve.

For the Shrimp:

1. Place the soy sauce, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, oil, and sugar in a shallow dish and stir to combine. Add the shrimp and lemongrass and stir to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.
2. Heat a large frying pan over high heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp mixture and cook until the shrimp are bright pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully add the vodka. Return the pan to high heat and cook for 1 minute more or until the alcohol smell has dissipated. Remove the lemongrass pieces and serve the shrimp and sauce over rice.

Edamame Two Ways

Edamame might be one of my favorite appetizers. As much as I love sushi, the edamame is always highlight of most of my sushi meals. My favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Barbara (Edomasa) has the best spicy edamame. I have been wanting to attempt to replicate their recipe for a while now. The combination of garlic and chili and edamame is a definite winner in my book.

After making my version, I’m fairly certain that they use garlic and chili powder as opposed to fresh garlic and sriracha. Either way, the end result is absolutely delicious. The spicy sauce on the edamame would be amazing on just about anything you would want to spicy up.

I will admit that parmesan garlic edamame will probably not be appearing on any sushi house menus anytime soon, but parmesan and garlic just make everything better, including edamame. This parm garlic combo is just as versatile as the spicy chili sauce. It would be great on top of roasted asparagus, green beans, broccoli.

Spicy Chili Garlic Edamame

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce (like sriracha)
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 8 ounces edamame

Prepare edamame according to package. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the chili sauce and tamari/soy sauce and stir together. Pour sauce over edamame. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Garlic Edamame

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4+ cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs (I used Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Panko Crumbs)
• 8 ounces edamame
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small food processor, pulse olive oil and garlic together until well combined. Heat garlic oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in edamame and stir to coat. Add in parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and stir again to combine. Remove edamame from sauce pan and top with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Asian Mushroom Sauté

This was a quick and easy side quasi-based on stir fried tofu, but with mushrooms. It was a great recipe that stood alone, but I could also see using these mushrooms as a sauce over tofu or even steak.

Asian Mushroom Sauté 

• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced thick
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped scallion
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or gluten free tamari
• freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Simmer mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and scallions in broth on medium high heat until the mushrooms are soft. Season with soy sauce, and pepper.

Sesame Encrusted Baked Turkey Tenders

I picked up some turkey tenders from Trader Joe’s and honestly I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. Turkey tenders are about the size of a chicken breast, so it probably would have been easiest to cook them like a chicken breast, but I really wanted something a bit different.

I decided to cut down the turkey tenders a bit and try a chicken tender recipe. I probably should have cut the turkey a little smaller. While the turkey did turn out well, it certainly wasn’t the star of the meal. The coating, while nice and light, was definitely missing something. If I were to make it again, I would add garlic or onion powder to the sesame seeds, along with using something like sesame chili oil instead of regular sesame oil.

Sesame Encrusted Baked Turkey Tenders (adapted from SkinnyTaste.com)

• 1 package of chicken or turkey tenders (cut turkey smaller if needed)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce or low sodium tamari
• 6 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon course salt
• 4 tablespoons panko crumbs (I used Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Panko Style Crumbs)
• olive oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt, garlic powder and panko in another.
3. Place turkey or chicken tenders in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well. Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 – 15 minutes. Turn over and cook another 4 – 5 minutes longer or until cooked through. – NOTE: cooking time will vary if you are using turkey or chicken and depending on the size of the tenders.

Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

This recipe is delicious. I love green beans, so I’m always excited to find new ways to serve them. These beans had the perfect blend of sweet and spice and were beyond tasty. I think that this sauce would be great with nearly any kind of vegetable you would want to sauté, like asparagus, onions, broccoli, bell peppers, or whatever else does it for you. I served these green beans up with a vaguely Asian-inspired meal, but they would be a great side to spice up nearly any meal. They would be great with meatloaf or burgers and they are pretty good cold as well.

If you can’t find chili garlic sauce, you can just use regular Sriracha sauce and add as much minced garlic as you like.

And yes, I know I broke every rule of food photography in this one, but with the sun going down so early now, I have to start cooking dinner at 10 am to get good lighting. In the mean time, we will all have to just deal with horrible pictures. Luckily the recipe more than makes up for the photo quality.

Sweet and Spicy Green Beans (from allrecipes.com)

• 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (like this)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons canola oil

1. Arrange a steamer basket in a pot over boiling water, and steam the green beans 3 to 4 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, garlic, garlic chili sauce, and honey.
3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Continue cooking and stirring 2 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Serve immediately.