For my third Blue Apron experiment...At Home, I made a Thai version of spaghetti and meatballs. Instead of spaghetti, I used wide, flat rice noodles. And instead of a tomato-based red sauce, I used coconut milk and red curry for a smooth, rich sauce with a kick. This warm dish of Thai Chicken Meatballs & Rice Noodles is flavored with classic Southeast Asian ingredients. The meatballs are cooked just to the verge of golden-brown perfection before finishing them in the curry, along with crunchy baby bok choy.
Thai Chicken Meatballs (Adapted from Blue Apron - Makes 2 servings)
with Red Coconut Curry, Bok Choy, & Rice Noodles
- 10 oz. ground chicken
- 7 oz. wide rice noodles
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 scallions (I used only 1 scallion)
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- ½ lb. baby bok choy
- 1 large bunch cilantro (I used only ½ bunch)
- 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp red curry paste
- 1 1-inch piece ginger
- ½ cup coconut milk powder
- Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger.
- Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. (I used only 1 scallion)
- Cut off and discard the ends of the lemongrass stalk. Peel away and discard the fibrous outer layers until you reach the white, pliable core; mince the core.
- Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; separate the leaves.
- Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems, keeping them separate; mince the stems. Keep the leaves whole. (I used only ½ bunch)
- Zest the lime; then juice the lime and set aside.
- Add the coconut milk powder and 1½ cups warm water to a small bowl; stir until well combined.
- In a medium pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the white parts of the scallions, lemongrass, cilantro stems, half the garlic and half the ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
- Transfer to a plate and spread into a single, even layer to cool slightly. Wipe out the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs and cooled aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into 12 equal-sized balls.
- In the same pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside, leaving any drippings (or fond) in the pan. Drain off as much of the fond as you’d like, leaving some in the pan.
- Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium until hot. Add the remaining garlic and ginger; cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add as much of the curry paste as you’d like (depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be); cook, stirring frequently, 20 to 30 seconds, or until toasted and fragrant.
- Add the lime zest and coconut milk mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly reduced.
- Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.
- Add the meatballs and bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the bok choy is wilted.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- While the meatballs finish cooking, add the rice noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender; drain thoroughly.
- To plate your dish, divide the cooked noodles and coconut curry and meatballs between 2 dishes.
- Garnish with the cilantro leaves and green parts of the scallions. Enjoy!
- Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. (I used only 1 scallion)
- Cut off and discard the ends of the lemongrass stalk. Peel away and discard the fibrous outer layers until you reach the white, pliable core; mince the core.
- Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; separate the leaves.
- Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems, keeping them separate; mince the stems. Keep the leaves whole. (I used only ½ bunch)
- Zest the lime; then juice the lime and set aside.
- Add the coconut milk powder and 1½ cups warm water to a small bowl; stir until well combined.
- In a medium pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the white parts of the scallions, lemongrass, cilantro stems, half the garlic and half the ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
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| Image via Blue Apron |
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs and cooled aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into 12 equal-sized balls.
- In the same pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside, leaving any drippings (or fond) in the pan. Drain off as much of the fond as you’d like, leaving some in the pan.
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| Image via Blue Apron |
- Add the lime zest and coconut milk mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly reduced.
- Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.
- Add the meatballs and bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the bok choy is wilted.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- While the meatballs finish cooking, add the rice noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender; drain thoroughly.
- To plate your dish, divide the cooked noodles and coconut curry and meatballs between 2 dishes.
- Garnish with the cilantro leaves and green parts of the scallions. Enjoy!
