Recently I had my daughters over for a nice Saturday afternoon lunch so we could put the phones down and sit and chat face to face.
I invited them over intending to make Potato Latka and pork tenderloin with applesauce, which sounds delicious, but all I saw was a vision of myself standing in the kitchen slaving at the stove. I decided two things, that I didn’t really want to slave at the stove, and that I wanted something that was lighter than this traditional meal I have made over and over.
As I went thru my recipe box in my head, I got to thinking about sweet and sour chicken and how I haven’t had that in a long time.
Once the decision was made, I got the recipe out of my head and started planning what I needed to create the delicious Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
Ground Chicken is the base for the meatballs, simply add 1 egg, panko bread crumbs, minced garlic, ginger paste, dried onion flakes, and a few red pepper flakes.
Mix it all together really well with your hands. If the mixture is too dry try adding a drizzle of olive oil, or if the mixture is too loose add more bread crumbs. You will want the meatballs to be firm and keep the shape as they cook.
While the meatballs are cooking, sauté the chopped red pepper, red onion in a pan with olive oil.
Using a spoon turn over the meatballs to brown on the other side, try not to overcook them. When the meatballs are done, drain off the juices, Add 1/2 the red pepper to the drained meatballs. Add the can of drained pineapple tidbits, and add sweet and sour sauce by drizzling on to taste. Set aside
Next, into the red pepper and onion pan add the chopped cabbage , sauté until the cabbage is soft and cooked thru stirring well. This is where I go wild with my spices, I like to add some red pepper flakes and use lemon juice drizzled over the vegetables also add in the sumac spice. The sumac seasoning adds a light bright flavor to the dish, you can find this spice at your local health food or natural grocers store.
Now drizzle some of the sweet and sour sauce into the cabbage, peppers and onion, mix well.
You may serve the meatballs with Jasmine rice or Basmati rice, and if desired sprinkle chopped green onions on top
Use the sweet and sour sauce as a condiment for everyone to enjoy!
Dig in and Enjoy!
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Ingredients
Instructions
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Prepare to make the sweet and sour meatballs with cabbage and red pepper slaw Gather all ingredients Wash the red pepper, slice the red pepper, peel the red onion and slice Drain the can of pineapple tidbits
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Add the ground chicken, egg, dried onion flakes, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and ginger to bowl. Mix it all together really well with your hands. If the mixture is too dry try adding a drizzle of olive oil, or if the mixture is too loose add more bread crumbs. You will want the meatballs to be firm and keep the shape as they cook. Turn over using a large spoon to cook the meatballs on each side.
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Sauté the sliced onions and peppers While the meatballs are cooking, sauté the chopped red pepper, red onion in a pan with olive oil. When the meatballs are done, drain off the juices, Add 1/2 the red pepper to the drained meatballs stir in. Add the can of drained pineapple tidbits, and add the sweet and sour sauce by drizzling on to taste. Set aside.
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Next, into the red pepper and onion pan add the chopped cabbage slaw , sauté until the cabbage is soft and cooked thru stirring well. Add in red pepper flakes, and drizzle lemon juice over the top. Serve as a side dish Serve the meatballs with Jasmine rice, and serve the hot cabbage red pepper slaw as a side dish.
Notes
When doubling the meat, add another egg into the mixture.
