Coconut-Ginger Turkey Meatballs | Cookbook Giveaway

These Coconut-Ginger Turkey Meatballs are wonderful as an appetizer. You can also shape them into a larger size and serve them with Asian noodles or rice and vegetables for a complete meal. 

These Coconut-Ginger Turkey Meatballs consist of ground turkey combined with the flavors of ginger, sesame oil, garlic, coconut milk, scallions, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes.

The meatballs are fried in a mixture of coconut oil and sesame oil, and then finished in a sauce of coconut milk, chicken stock, and lime zest.

This recipe comes from a new cookbook, Cooking with Coconut: 125 Recipes for Healthy Eating by Ramin Ganeshram.

I'm old enough to remember a time when coconut oil was considered off limits for a healthy diet... kind of like whole eggs vs. egg whites or butter vs. margarine. I'm glad to see that delicious coconut has fallen back into favor!

Coconut is native to cuisines from around the world, including Thai, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and many Caribbean cultures. Some of the recipes in the book that I'm excited to try include Coconut-Mango Glazed Hot Wings, Turmeric-Coconut Mussels, Pan-Seared Halibut with Coconut Saffron Cream, Coconut Crab Pilaf, and Coconut-Caramel-Chocolate Shortbreads.

The book includes a primer on all things coconut, and then recipes for appetizers, main dishes, veggies, breakfasts, desserts, and drinks. It's gorgeous, and all of the recipes sound so good. 

From the publisher: "Ramin Ganeshram, an IACP award-winning cookbook author and professionally trained chef, grew up with an appreciation for coconut, passed down from her Trinidadian father. Cooking with Coconut dishes up everything home cooks and health-conscious eaters need to know to fully enjoy this delectable powerhouse. Ramin Ganeshram is a journalist and professional chef trained at the Institute of Culinary Education. For many years she was an award-winning writer for the New York Times and Newsday. She is the author of several cookbooks including a 2015 IACP award winner, FutureChefs. Her writing has been featured in Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and on Epicurious, as well as National Geographic Traveler, Forbes Traveler, and many other publications."

In partnership with the publisher, I'm giving away a copy of this cookbook. After the recipe, be sure to check out how to win a copy of the book. 

These coconut-ginger meatballs were absolutely wonderful, and the aroma when they are cooking is amazing. There is spiciness, but it's not overwhelming, and the lime and coconut in the sauce goes perfectly.

I did make a couple of adjustments to the recipe that were very minor. After frying the meatballs in the coconut and sesame oil, I poured off the frying oil, and then added some of the stock to deglaze all of the brown bits from the frying pan. How could I not use all of that flavor? I also added a few drops of Maggi Seasoning for a little more umami.

Coconut-Ginger Turkey Meatballs

With permission from Storey Publishing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 scallions, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if desired
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil for frying
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 2 to 3 drops Maggi seasoning (optional)
• chopped cilantro or scallions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet or wok with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown, about a minute. Pour the garlic into a large bowl.
2. Add the scallions, ginger, pepper flakes, fish sauce, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk to the bowl with the garlic, and whisk well with a fork. Add the ground turkey and mix will with your hands.
3. Form the mixture into meatballs. I used a teaspoon sized cookie scoop to portion the mixture. Place the meatballs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and chill, covered, for at least an hour, or overnight, in the refrigerator.
4. Using the same skillet or wok in which you cooked the garlic, heat the remaining sesame oil and coconut oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs in batches. Brown on one side for 3 minutes, flip them over, and brown another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat until all of the meatballs are browned.
5. Pour off the oil, and deglaze the pan with some of the chicken stock, and then add the mixture to a four quart sauce pan or high sided skillet. Add the rest of the stock, salt, lime zest, and the rest of the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium low and then add the meatballs. Simmer until the sauce is reduced by two-thirds, about 10 minutes.
6. Season with a few drops of Maggi Seasoning and garnish with cilantro or scallions.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book. 

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