30-minute sriracha teriyaki meatball bowls

March 8 has been added to my list of favourite days of the year. Not because it’s International Woman’s Day (which is great too), but because it’s the day I officially became an auntie. After nine months of seeing my sister’s baby bump grow bigger and bigger, knowing full well the end result would be a new baby, it was crazy to finally meet the little guy. My goodness, he’s adorable. Normally I’m not one to gush over newborns. Quite frankly, they scare me. They’re so small and I feel like I’m going to break them. But this was different. He had me wrapped around his little finger the moment I laid eyes on his chubby, little face. It’s events like these that put things in perspective. I’ve been dealing with injury for the past few weeks and was starting to get bogged down from not running, but then my nephew was born and, all of a sudden, the injury didn’t seem so bad. It made me realize that running is going to come and go when injuries crop up, or if it’s time to take a break after a big build, or a number of other reasons that take you out of the running (forgive the pun) for a big goal. I know I’ll be back in full form soon enough, but while I have the luxury of a less structured training schedule, it means I get to take the time to actually spend time with our family’s little bundle of joy!

It also means more time to experiment with recipes. I’m not a huge fan of ground beef unless it’s in burgers but then I even prefer bison over beef. So, a great alternative to any recipe that calls for ground beef is to use ground turkey, a leaner choice, with a much less potent flavour. I had taken some turkey out of the freezer but had no idea what I was going to make. Cue Pinterest. I’m a huge fan of soya sauce – a huge factor into why I love sushi so much. Thus, when I read this recipe it looked like it was one I would thoroughly enjoy. It’s quick and easy, perfectly spicy (though I did add a little extra sriracha), and excellent to pair with rice and steamed veggies. Definitely a keeper.

30-minute sriracha teriyaki meatball bowls

Recipe courtesy of Baker By Nature

Ingredients:

• Meatballs:
  • 1 lb ground turkey meat
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 3 tsp ginger, grated
  • 1 scallion, white part only, minced
  • 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 3 tbsp oil (olive, vegetable, canola) for frying
• For the sriracha teriyaki:
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp water, divided
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tps sesame seeds
• For the rice:
  • 2 cups instant brown rice, cooked according to package instructions
• Scallions, for sprinkling

Directions:
Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Allow the oil to simmer (you want it very hot) while you prepare the meatballs.
3. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, egg, cilantro, sriracha, soy, ginger, scallion, pepper and panko. Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.
4. Scoop one heaping tablespoon sized round of meat into your palm and roll it into a small ball; repeat until all meat has been rolled into meatballs.
5. Fry meatballs in batches in the hot oil, one to two minutes on each side; or just until lightly browned.
6. Place semi-cooked meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Once all meatballs have been panfried, place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re cooked though.
7. While the meatballs bake, make your sriracha teriyaki!

Sriracha

1. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, honey, 1/2 cup of the water, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and ginger. Heat over a medium-low flame and stir constantly until the honey is dissolved; about three minutes.
2. In a small dish, combine the cornstarch with the remaining three tablespoons of water, then pour it into the glaze, stir well to combine.
3. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook the sauce, stirring constantly, just until thickened. This should only take two minutes. Once it’s thickened, remove from heat and stir in sesame seeds.

• The meatballs should be ready to come out of the oven. Transfer them from the baking sheet straight into the pot with the sauce; stir to coat.
• Place 1/2 cup of rice in each bowl. Top with a few meatballs, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and some chopped scallions! Enjoy!