Haven’t heard of Asian meatballs with vegetable spaghetti before? What if I called it panko crusted chicken balls with a drizzle of sweet chili sauce served on top of a warm salad of julienne zucchini and carrot topped with pistachio nuts. Still doesn’t sound familiar…that’s is because my husband and I like to create new dishes. Now would you like the good news or the bad news.
Let’s start with the good news…it was delicious. Now to the bad news…I can’t give you an exact recipe. You might be wondering why I would post such a beautiful meal without giving you precise recipes. The answer to this question is that my husband made this meal. He never measures…preferring to just create and taste as he goes. We often cook together but sometimes he likes to surprise me and will ask that I stay out of the kitchen until the meal is on the table. And what a good surprise this meal was.
I’ll just given you a list of the ingredients and how each dish was prepared. I don’t think that most of you will have any problem with the exact measurements…just go by your own specific tastes.
Asian Chicken Meatballs And Vegetable "Spaghetti"
Panko Crusted Asian Chicken Meatballs Balls
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1/2 cup of fresh bread crumbs
- 1/2 medium onion, minced fine
- 2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped fine
- 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- soy sauce
- salt and white pepper
- panko breadcrumbs for rolling
Mix all ingredients except panko. Form into balls and roll in panko breadcrumbs. Heat a small amount of peanut oil on a skillet and brown the balls. Put in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking.
For a sauce mix Thai sweet chili sauce with wasabi paste and soy sauce.
Asian Vegetable “Spaghetti”
If you have a mandoline, this is the time to use it. Use the fine julienne setting on four small zucchini and one carrot.
Make a vinaigrette using peanut oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, honey, grated ginger and salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a small amount of peanut oil in a skillet. Add the julienne vegetables and toss to heat (do not cook as you want them to still be crisp but warm). Remove from the heat and add the vinaigrette to the skillet and toss.
Plate the vegetables, top with chicken balls, and drizzle with sauce. Garnish the dish with toasted pistachios and green onion.
Many of my favorite recipes start out with “a little of this and a little of that.” Dishes are never exactly the same way twice, but isn’t that the fun of it? I like the way you have kicked the Thai chili sauce up a notch with the wasabe and soy sauce. Sounds like a delicious recipe, Karen. I will be looking for light meals like this in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Cathy, Thank you for your comment. A little of this and a little of that makes for some great meals sometimes. We are trying to eat some lighter meals before all of the Christmas parties start.
Sounds like a great way to change things up a bit, I like your flavor ideas here! It’s so elegantly presented, too.
Hi Hannah, Thank you for stopping by to visit and your nice compliment.
Whatever you call it, it looks good to me! Thanks for posting the recipe.
Hi Lea Ann, Thank you, I hope you will enjoy the dishes.
Wonderful photos to go with your clever husband!
Thank you Claire. My husband can be clever when it comes to cooking up an interesting meal.
This looks so colorful and healthy. It looks like something Mike and I would really enjoy. I think the kids might like the meatballs too.
What a nice surprise meal!
Hi Kristy, We are trying to eat healthy as much as we can before all of the holiday goodies start making their appearance on everyone’s tables. It was a great surprise meal and one that I will ask for again.
Looks really good!
Thank you Rosemary, for your comment.
If your husband is this good in the kitchen, would you please share? His not measuring reminds me of a guest we had this summer. He made the most scrumptious meal just by putting things together.
Hi Lulu, He is that good in the kitchen and he never measures.
The flavors in the Asian chicken meatballs sound terrific with the veggie spaghetti, and also make me think how good they might be in a clear soup with noodles and the onion. Would have to leave off the external breading for that, but gives me ideas!
Hi Betsy, If you left off the panko breadcrumbs, the meatballs would be very good in a soup.
This looks very good! Simple and healthy! What we all need more of!
Hi Phyllis, This is a nice, healthy meal. We are trying to watch what we eat now because of all the holiday parties ahead.
Seems so delicious… wonderful idea meatball and spaghetti. I loved it. Thank you dear Karen, with my love, nia
Hi Nia, Thank you for your nice compliment.
Ha, Katherine actually takes notes as she goes. When she made mashed potatoes it was so odd to measure. I really have to make sure I do the write up before I forget. So anyway, I feel your pain and this looks delicious.
Hi Greg, Thank you for your compliment. The only way I can get measurements from my husband when he is cooking is to stand next to him. Lots of times it is like this meal where he wants to surprise me and then he gives me approximate measurements afterwards. It was so delicious…how could I complain.
Yummy, Yummy… would love to have some in my belly
Thank you…it really was Yummy!
What a healthy dish, Karen, and I love using Panko to coat the meatballs. This is one of those dishes where no recipe is needed. This list of ingredients can easily be tweaked to suit another’s palate. And if squash can be called “spaghetti” why can’t these veggies?
Thank you John for your comment. Most of the cooks that read my blog are such good cooks that they could make this meal in a heartbeat without measurements.
Karen you know what happened last time I used a mandolin!! The scalloped potatoes remember!! But Oh I want to make this so badly, it looks divine and i love that you just give us the basics and tell us to get on with it!! c
Hi Celi, Yes I do remember vividly what happened with you and a mandolin. I think it will be julienne by hand for you Missy.
this looks so tasty! vegetable spaghetti? i’d love to learn how to make that! sounds flavorful and very healthy to eat!
H Cayla, It is very easy and healthy to make. Just cut zucchini and carrots as thin as spaghetti would be. Only warm through, season and that is all that there is to making it.
Too funny. I’m with your husband…I really hate measuring things, but have to for the blog.
Hi Jed, I know what you mean. If I cook something that is not going to be on my blog, I don’t measure either. When creating a recipe for the blog, I measure everything so that the dish can be created exactly. Even with an exact recipe…I know most people will just wing it.
That looks amazing and I bet the flavours were incredible! I don´t have a problem with recipes without measurements (well, maybe cakes!) and well done to your husband…lucky you!
Hi Tanya, I am very lucky to have such a great husband who is also a great cook.
Lucky you having your hubby cook! And not just anything, but oh so delicious!! I love it! So much better than topping those meatballs on noodles or pasta! Beautiful presentation too!
Hi Linda, Thank you for your compliment. Yes…I am very lucky that my husband enjoys cooking. He is really very good.
This sounds delicious, and is exactly the way I like my recipes presented! I’d rather follow suggestions than rules.
Hi Megan, Thank you for your nice compliment. My thinking exactly…recipes are ideas and suggestions to turn into your own dish.
Oh how lost I would be without my mandoline! First time I used it I damn near took my finger off but I have learned a healthy respect for Mr. Slicey now
Beautiful recipe – I like to invent and create too… sometimes more successfully than others. I particularly like the look of those chicken balls
Hi Charles, Thank you for your nice comment. Yes, you do need to have a healthy respect for a mandoline and use the food guard.
Your husband’s approach sounds like mine; it can backfire though
Thank you for your comment. So far so good…he’s never made me anything I haven’t really loved.
These meatballs look wonderful. And this looks like a great way to incorporate more veggies in dinner, something that I definitely need to try doing more often! I definitely want to try this sometime soon!
Hi Colleen, Thank you for your comment. This is a great way to get your veggies. And they are so good that you will want to make them often.
What a great idea..looks amazing!
Hi Monique, Thank you so much for your compliment. Every part of the meal went so well together.
Karen, I love your recipes so much, I am giving you the Versatile Blogger award…( I was having trouble with codes this morning so ..I could not link to your site directly) I hope you had a wonderful day. For some reason my food never looks like yours…:)
Jess
Hi Jess, I have to thank you so much for your lovely compliment and for thinking of me and my blog for this award…it is a great honor to be chosen by follow bloggers. I already have this lovely award. I posted the things that you didn’t know about me in my post…”Surprises while traveling” in November. Again I appreciate you sincere thoughts regarding my blog.
All of your dishes look wonderful!
Thank you so much for your nice comment.
Asian meatballs are something I have wanted to make for a very long time. I love your combo of the sweet chili paste, wasabi and soy sauce for these. I also like that you used your veggies as your pasta. It took me a second or two to realize that it was zucchini and not spaghetti in the picture (even though your title really gave it away:-)) Looks like a great meal!
Hi Becki, Thank you for your nice compliment. Yes, vegetables that look like pasta…and they were really good. A totally delicious meal that I hope you will try.
Holy cow! Your HUSBAND made that? My honey bunny is my official taste tester, but can only make eggs! Beautiful and it sounds delicious! Measurements or not – I’m glad you posted!
Hi Ann, Thank you for your comment. You really made me chuckle. Yes, my sweetie made that lovely meal. He loves cooking…and makes me many wonderful surprise meals.
I’m going to have to try this
sounds simple but delicious!!
Hi Sydney, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and nice comment. I hope you enjoy the meal.
our hubbies cook the same way! Dave really does not like measuring anything
Hi Tandy, It just must be a guy thing.
Interesting idea.
Hi Sharyn, Thank your for visiting and your comment.
Many years ago my mother tried to get a recipe from my grandmother for something or other. Mom watched and made notes as Grandma measured, mixed, and voila… until Mom turned her back and Grandma proceeded to add a pinch of this and a smidge of that “to make it right”… I understand completely!
Hi Rachel, Thank you so much for sharing your story…it certainly made me smile.
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Oh these Asian Meatballs With Vegetable look amazing. I definitely wish I could make this for dinner tonight. Great post
Thank you Babygirl for your nice compliment. This is such an easy recipe and oh so good.
This looks great! Love new creations and experiments with food!
Hi Alfred, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice comment.
yummie, healthy, recipe. tried zucchini spaghetti but never these meatballs. they look delicious!
Hi Barbara, Thank you for your nice comment. The meal really was great.
Love it! A beautiful dish and it sounds amazing, a must try.
Thank you Judy for such a nice compliment. I hope you will enjoy it.
It is always so special when your beloved makes dinner and such a lovely one at that. The meatballs look so scrumptious…well done!
Hi Teresa, You are so right…it is always special. I love it when my husband makes dinner for me. It really was a great meal.
I never met a meatball I didn’t like and I LIKE these!! My husband cooks but nothing quite as fancy (and healthy) as this! yum!
Thank you Carol, for your nice comment.
Hi Karen, thanks very much for the lovely things you said about my blog. I dropped around for a visit to ‘your place’ and slipped in my own drool when I saw that gorgeous chicken meatball/noodle combo – and what a fabulous pic to go with it! And the ‘cottage’ looks fantastic. I shall return! j
Hi Joe, I loved you comment…you really made me laugh. I do hope you will stop by often.
What a nice husband you have who offers to make you surprise meals! I love to cook with my husband Thomas but after we had Anna this has not been very practical any more… so what usually happens is I start cooking something and then he’ll finish it or vice versa. At least this way we both get a hand in the dish and we don’t end up with too many cooks in the kitchen! Lovely looking dinner. My complements to the chef!
Hi Laura, I know that I is hard to cook when you have a little one that wants you attention. It sounds like you two have worked out a good way of handling mealtime.
Funny your post reminded me of when my grandmother (who is Peranakan) was trying to teach me how to cook and it was “a pinch of this” and “an eggshell of water, there or thereabouts” – it’s all about “to taste” with Asian cooking I think.
Hi Carolyn, I bet your grandmother was a wonderful cook. I agree…”to taste” is what creating an Asian dish is all about.
Wow these sound sensational. I can’t wait to try them. So much more interesting than your typical meatball.
Hi Vicki, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your very nice comment. I hope you will enjoy the meal.