Cashew chicken meatball bowls

A fun twist on a classic favourite!

Cashew chicken has long been one of my favourite North American-Chinese dishes and I’ve made it countless times using boneless chicken breasts. Lately, my husband has become infatuated with meatballs so I recently decided to try my hand at a new way of preparing this classic dish and it was a huge hit. Be sure to use grated ginger root rather than powdered ginger for the best flavour. Note that the meatballs can be cooked ahead and refrigerated for up to 48 hours (or frozen for up to 2 months) before proceeding with the rest of the dish. Just be sure to reheat them before adding to the sauce.

Meatballs:

• 1 pound (454 g) ground chicken
• 1 room temperature egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (30 g) panko or other dry breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon (7 g) finely grated ginger root
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch freshly-ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) soy sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) white wine or water
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (7 g) grated ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon Sambal Oelek or Sriracha (or more, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sesame oil

Bowls:

• 1 medium-sized onion, cut in 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) pieces
• 1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups (4.5 oz / 130 g) sugar snap peas, strings removed
• 2 red peppers, in 3/4 inch (2 cm) pieces
• 2 cups (16 oz / 454 g) hot cooked rice
• 1 cup (140 g) unsalted roasted cashews

Method

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the meatball ingredients, taking care to mix just enough to blend evenly without compacting the meat too much – I find this easiest to do with very clean hands.
• Shape the ground chicken mixture into 24 meatballs, each about an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Place the meatballs on the prepared tray and transfer the tray to the freezer for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 400F.
• Also while oven preheats, shake together sauce ingredients in a jar with a tight lid. Set aside.
• Once oven is up to temperature, bake meatballs for 18-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Alternatively, air fry at 375F for about 12-14 minutes.
• While meatballs are baking, in a very large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots; stir fry until just beginning to feel tender (3-4 minutes). Add the peppers and snap peas to the pan and stir fry until just tender (3-4 minutes).
• Shake sauce again then drizzle it over vegetables and stir to combine. As soon as sauce begins to bubble in the pan, add cooked, warm meatballs and stir very gently to coat them in sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pan; let mixture warm through; about 2 minutes.
• To serve, place 1/2 cup of hot cooked rice in 4 broad bowls. Top with meatballs and vegetables, dividing sauce evenly among the bowls. Sprinkle cashews on top and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.