Right after the shelter-in-place order was announced, I received an unexpected shipment from the folks at Diestel Family Ranch. Since the fridge was stocked, I stashed the contents in the freezer for safekeeping.
No surprise, one of the items in the delivery came in quite handy recently. As you can probably guess, I transformed a pound of ground meat into this well-rounded entrée!
When preparing hoisin-turkey meatballs with udon noodles, feel free to get creative. For example, the original recipe calls for dried glass noodles, but I used fresh handmade udon that a friend gifted to me. You could also sub in any kind of crunchy veggie you please – asparagus, bell peppers and carrots would be good alternatives.
Next time you’re in the mood for Asian food, make hoisin-turkey meatballs with udon noodles. Or, if you’re too lazy to cook, support a local business by calling in for takeout or delivery.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1" piece fresh ginger, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1" piece fresh ginger, minced
- 1 pound fresh udon noodles
- 1 tablespoon safflower or vegetable oil, divided
- 2 zucchini, cut into 2" pieces and then into ¼"-thick matchsticks
- 2 cups snap peas, cut in half diagonally
- thinly sliced green onions and black sesame seeds (for topping, optional)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium sauce pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa and salt and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and let the quinoa cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, combine 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Add ground turkey and prepared quinoa and mix with your hands. Form into 1½" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lightly greased with safflower or vegetable oil.
- Bake meatballs for 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Brush meatballs with remaining 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes until meatballs are browned.
- In a small bowl, combine the low-sodium and dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and ginger. Mix well and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook udon noodles until al dente according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
- In a large fry pan, heat 2 teaspoons safflower or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 teaspoon safflower or vegetable oil in the fry pan over medium-high heat. Add snap peas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
- Add prepared sauce, udon noodles and zucchini to fry pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
- Serve udon noodle mixture with meatballs and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, if using.
