Red Curry Meatballs

Here's that yummy meatball recipe I fixed up for y'all!  Well actually, I fixed it up for myself ;o) cause I really wanted it to be a success... something we could add to our regular menu items!  In the interest of full disclosure, I was primarily drawn to it because of the colors involved... Jesse accused me recently of cooking food just because it's pretty.

I don't know what he's talking about!

I was also drawn to it because it's a different kind of dish than I usually make... requiring me to purchase a new ingredient.  I like to try new things, so this is super fun!  I got the red curry paste at the German grocery store because I couldn't find it at the Commissary.  But since the original recipe is in a popular American magazine I'm going to assume you can find it at most stores.

It also has coconut milk in it.  And coconut is a fantastic healthy fat to include more often in your diet.  Plus it makes this dish deliciously creamy.

Red Curry Meatballs
adapted by Jessica Aiduk from Real Simple Magazine

Make ahead: a batch of your favorite meatballs.  I have recently fallen in love with baking my favorite meatball recipe from America's Test Kitchen .  I just pop them in the oven at 400 till browned (about 20 minutes).  Seems like a lot less mess to clean up than frying them in oil in the skillet.  And perhaps healthier, I don't know.  But baking them also requires less active cooking time.  i.e. I can be reading the girls a story while the meatballs cook instead of standing over the frying pan while they whine at me.  Thank you Pinterest for the baking idea.  You can also use your favorite package of frozen meatballs.  

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
1 zucchini, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 batch precooked meatballs
4 T red curry paste
1 14-oz can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 whole lime
basil for garnish

Saute the onion and zucchini with the butter and olive oil in a 12 inch skillet until soft.  I happen to think the dish would look prettier if the veggies were sliced thin, but my kids are still at the age that they need everything chopped to oblivion, so I just do it at the first step instead of cutting it on their plate.  So if you're serving for guests, maybe make it pretty :o)  I also think there's room for an extra zucchini in there...

When the veggies are soft, add the garlic and cook till it smells awesome... 10-15 seconds.  Then add your meatballs, red curry paste, and coconut milk.  Bring it to a simmer and then let it cook 5-10 minutes till it thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  As an aside, I salted this pretty generously.  The first time I made it I just thought it lacked a depth of flavor.  So my additions to the recipe were the garlic, twice the original amount of curry, more lime juice, and LOTS of salt.  But obviously, taste it yourself and see what you think.  You can always add more salt at the table... but it's tough to take it away once you've salted the crap out of it.

Add your lime juice and serve with brown rice.  Top with basil to give it a little punch of green color.  Oh wait, it's not all about color.  The basil tastes good, too ;o)  I cooked my rice with coconut milk instead of water, just to give us some more coconut flavor.  Plus, if you have an aversion to brown rice (I'm looking at you Dad) you will like it cooked with coconut milk because it makes it fluffier than usual.    Sometimes I cook the rice with homemade chicken stock... we need all the immune-boosting-nutrients we can get in the winter!

I think this sauce is awesome and it could easily be transformed into any kind of dish you want... don't have meatballs on hand?  How about some leftover chopped up chicken?  Or shrimp!  Hate zucchini?  Maybe some spinach or peas or broccoli?  The possibilities are endless!

So there you have it.  Red Curry Meatballs.  Delicious, nutritious, and PRETTY.