Every year, without fail, I’m baffled by the speed at which the summer flies by. Here in Vancouver, we spend so long – so long! – dealing with rainy weather, dreaming of those few, short months of summer and all that they have to offer.
Late night patio dinners with a pitcher (or two) and a few good friends.
Picnics in the park by the sea with a chilled rosé a warm, salty breeze.
Long hikes through the mountains in the calming silence of the woods.
Camping besides lakes with campfire dinners and a tent under the stars.
Farmer’s market hauls for homemade jams, pestos, and lazy Sunday roasts.
Saturday puppy dates, where Finn and I catch up while the pooches wrestle around in the grass.
The problem is, there are a limited number of weekends in the summer, and those weekends fill up FAST. Summer is just too short.
It’s briefness makes it special, though. Around this time of year, when the clouds start rolling in and the temperatures get a bit crisper, I feel very grateful to have enjoyed another summer here. It’s brief but beautiful, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
(I’ll gladly suffer through the rain for the other 9 months of the year!)
This summer was especially busy for both Finn and I, and as a result we haven’t been posting as much as we’d like. Hopefully by mid-September we’ll fall back in to our regular blog schedule, and get back to experimenting in the kitchen!
I made these Korean meatballs on a whim the other day, solely because I was had a massive, unexpected, overwhelming craving.
When I get a craving, I get a craving. It’s usually for something strange and out-of-the-ordinary, something that I rarely eat but all of a sudden just need to have.
Korean meatballs are slightly sweet, slightly tangy, Asian-inspired meatballs that are generally seasoned with garlic, ginger, and other flavourful additions. Tossed with a honey-hoisin glaze, these meatballs pack quite a punch of flavour in each bite-sized morsel.
While the meatballs are the show-stopper, the kimchi sour cream sauce is bit of a game changer. The kimchi is pulsed in a food processor with some sour cream, resulting in a tangy, vinegary, creamy sauce that pairs oh-so well with the rest of this dish.
Serve with some broccoli slaw and basamati rice and you have yourself an easy, delicious weeknight meal.
If you can’t find broccoli slaw at your local grocer, try any assortment of mixed/shredded veggies. The crunch of the slaw is a welcome texture in this dish. If you really want to go all-out, make your own by shredding some carrots, cabbage and broccoli.
I’ve added some Sriracha to the meatball glaze, and the heat is much appreciated during these chillier days. Feel free to omit, if preferred, or add a teaspoon more for even more heat!
| Korean Meatball Rice Bowls with Kimchi Sour Cream Sauce | | Print |
- 500 g lean ground beef
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ Tbsp grated fresh ginger
- ½ tsp each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
- .
- Glaze:
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- .
- Kimchi Sour Cream Sauce:
- ¼ cup kimchi
- ½ cups sour cream
- .
- 4 cups broccoli coleslaw mix*, mixed with 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 cup jasmine rice, cooked according to package instructions
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Green onions, sliced, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray; set aside.
- To prepare the kimchi sour cream, combine the kimchi and sour cream in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, add the beef, green onions, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until fully combined. Form into 1-inch meatballs and place on baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
- In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin, honey, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Add the cooked meatballs and toss until fully covered.
- Divide rice into four equal bowls. Top with broccoli slaw and meatballs. Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and kimchi sour cream.
This is a great recipe, worth trying at home 🙂
Please visit my site to check my cooking ideas 🙂
http://www.mecooks.com/en/
Yummy, these meatballs are going to be awesome for a game day! Thanks for all the awesome recipes and foodie pics – I’m obsessed!
Thank you, Elena! These WOULD be fantastic on game day! 😀