February Swap & Thai Meatballs

For this month's swap, we decided to meet at the movie theater and take in a show together.  This is definitely one of the advantages of swapping in February when it's 20 below zero outside, no worries about anything defrosting while we were in the theater.  We went to see "Silver Lining Playbooks" and we all really enjoyed it.  For meals this month, we swapped: hamburger soup, scallop casserole, white chili, chicken lasagna, thai pizza, butter chicken, greek shepherd's pie, burrito casserole and sun dried tomato penne - can't wait to eat it all up!

I was feeling quite indecisive about what to make for the March swap.  We've had so many great meals so far and we're all in agreement that it is perfectly okay to repeat some of the meals we've enjoyed most, but I still get that urge to be creative and try something new.  So while flipping through the Looneyspoons collection last night, I came across the Glad Thai Dings meatballs recipe.  I am sure I remember making it years ago and while I couldn't remember exactly what it tasted like or if we liked it, the picture was enough to make me want to consider it again.  Most of us love Thai food in our meal group but many thai dishes don't freeze particularly well, so I thought this might be a good way of incorporating a taste we all enjoy into something that also freezes easily.  I picked up the ingredients to make a double batch for us to try and see if it is 'swap worthy'!  They are super easy to make, just mixing up the beef and turning them into meatballs and stirring up the sauce.  We think they taste delicious!

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef 
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs -- unseasoned
3 tablespoons finely minced green onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 egg
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 cup light coconut milk
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons light peanut butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil -- or fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

 Preheat oven to 400F. Spray rimmed cookie sheet or large baking dish and set aside.

Meatballs: Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl (using hands works best.) Form meat mixture into 40 1-1 1/2 inch meatballs. Put on prepared pan.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned.

While meatballs are cooking prepare sauce. In a deep non-stick skillet, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sauce boils. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes, stirring often. Sauce will thicken a bit. Add cooked meatballs to sauce and mix well. Serve hot.

I realized when I got home that I did not have any sesame oil or a lemon lying around so I substituted with a bit of peanut oil and a squirt of lemon juice instead!