Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

I must say that I was pretty pleased with tonight's culinary endeavor. It got the "Jeff Approved" stamp, so I think it turned out just fine....of course, he had to say that it wasn't as good as the best teriyaki he'd ever had in his life while he was on his mission in Washington, but he did say it could put other restaurant teriyaki to shame.

In short- I must remember this teriyaki sauce recipe to use with other types of meat and other stir fry endeavors in the future...

The meatball recipe I used was FANTASTIC. I'd saved one from the sauce and put it into the Little Diva's fresh food feeder, but once I bit into them, I was wishing I hadn't. They were perfectly soft and moist and flavorful. I have no doubt in my mind that she would have been able to gum the meatball without choking because it was so soft...alas, I was too late. However, she thoroughly enjoyed chomping on it through dinner time and even came to me a few times to ask for a swig or two from my water glass (the kid LOVES ice water more than pretty much any other beverage on the planet, she especially loves it when I hold the glass and let her drink MY ice water...)

Anywhoo....you're all probably thinking, "Stop blabbering on and give me the recipe already..."

OKAY...geez, don't get your panties in a twist- I was getting there!

For the meatballs:

1 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1/2 c plain bread crumbs
1/2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS garlic powder
1 1/2 TBS onion powder

Mix with hands. Form into 1/2 inch balls and place on baking sheet or into 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees until browned (30-40 minutes * Note* I have a gas stove and I only needed 25 minutes for them to cook through. I did let them sit for about 5 minutes before adding them to the teriyaki sauce.)


While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce, rice and veggies.

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
1/2 c brown sugar
1 TBS sesame oil
1/4-1/2 tsp ginger (to your taste)
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS corn starch (mix in enough water to make easy to pour.)

Put all sauce ingredients into saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sauce thickens, set aside.  After meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce and stir to coat.

Rice:
Prepare according to package (we used brown rice because its healthier and a little more low carb friendly, but you can use whatever kind you want.)

Veggies:

Heat a pan, add sesame oil (or vegetable oil) to coat the bottom of pan (*Note* If you enjoy making stir fry, just invest in the sesame oil. I broke down and purchased some about 3 months ago and I swear I use it on a weekly basis. It just adds a certain something to Asian cuisine. I even use it in recipes that call for olive oil or vegetable oil instead. I just adds a warm hint of nutty goodness that tastes more authentic.)  and add your veggies. I used:

1/2 bell pepper, julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1 crown broccoli, chopped
1 cup of fresh snow peas
3 stalks green onions, diced.

I added the peppers first (because I like them more on the "chewy" side) then the broccoli and let them cook together for a little while. I added the snow peas and sprinkled them with some onion powder to add a little more flavor and let them cook a little longer. I added the green onions at the last minute so they wouldn't over cook and lose their flavor.

To prepare:

Put a bed of rice on the bottom of the bowl, put the stir fried veggies on top and then top that with your meatball deliciousness. If you have it, I would even recommend sprinkling it with some toasted sesame seeds (we didn't have them, but I think it would have added some "spunk" to the dish).

And, in case you had any doubt...just look at the face of one happy customer from my kitchen...chomping away on her meatball like any good carnivore in training...she looks pleased, so I think you will be too.

Bon Appetit

Hugs and Loves until next time darlings.