What weather!!!!

We went from having 80 degree days, to 40 degree nights. I can’t lie, this is my favorite part of the year. Sweaters, jackets, boots, scarves, AHH. And pumpkins! We are having a neighborhood potluck this Saturday, and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with. I will definitely be enjoying some pumpkin beer.

I’ve been traveling a lot lately – far away cities for work, traveling back to my alma mater (WE ARE! #2 in the country, go PSU football!), and more or less, not getting enough sleep. Not getting any sleep, for that matter. It was fun putting on nice clothes, a ton of makeup, curling my hair and pretending I was in college again. It was not fun walking around in heels everywhere, though… I’d likely do it again. Kids these days don’t know what life was like before Uber when your campus was huge, your shoes were awfully uncomfortable, taxis were too expensive and subzero temperatures were just brutal.. but you didn’t care, because it was college, and you already had 14 shots so you were still warm.

The only bad thing about traveling is that, unless you’re doing an Airbnb and have full access to every amenity you have at home, you just can’t get a home cooked meal. Though I did get to eat some really delicious things, like shrimp and jalapeno cheddar grits, a real kobe beef burger, jicama fries, tostones, s’mores in a can, Better Cheddar dip, campfire ahi tuna…. among others, I really just wanted to cook myself a dinner and watch tv with my dog.

And that’s exactly what I did last night. I was inspired by hearing someone talk about meatballs on the radio, but… I just don’t like beef meatballs and red sauce. I don’t really like any standard pasta in red sauce, or any accessories that go with it. I wanted something light, but spicy, definitely flavorful, and not time consuming.

Chicken it was!

I thought about doing something like cauliflower rice to make the whole thing paleo, but a good basmati rice is just delicious…. You can definitely put this over something like veggies or cauliflower if you’re strict, though. These lil babes are delicious, full of protein and pretty filling, and they keep well for lunch the next day. And so, it is – Paleo Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs for you.

Paleo Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb ground chicken breast
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 heaping tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp almond flour

For the sauce:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp red curry paste, plus more to taste
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, ribs/seeds removed, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Optional: 1 cup of basmati rice, OR cauliflower rice, if strict paleo

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Add first half of onion, and sauté until browning, about 8-10 minutes. Stir to ensure they do not burn. Set aside and let cool a bit.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F as you prep the meatballs.
3. In a large bowl, add chicken, almond flour, ginger, red curry paste, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, onion and cilantro and mix thoroughly. The mix should have a slightly red tint to it — if you’re brave and like spice, feel free to add another tsp of red curry paste.
4. Roll into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on a greased/parchment-lined baking sheet. I covered my hands in a bit of coconut oil first, because chicken sticking to my fingers freaks me out a bit (oh, also.. it’s easier to roll them…)
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they start to brown.
6. Meanwhile, add rest of onion and red pepper to pan with a splash of oil over medium high heat, stirring to coat. allow to brown, about 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, add tomato paste, red curry paste, garlic powder and salt – stir to mix thoroughly.
7. Once the mixture is coated with the curry and tomato paste, add coconut milk. Stir thoroughly, allowing to bubble and simmer.
8. Remove meatballs from oven, and add to the skillet with the sauce — let simmer while moving onto the next step.
9. Lastly, for the rice – bring 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt to a boil. add rice, and turn down to a simmer, allowing to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until water dissipates. Fluff with a fork. If using cauliflower, cut core of cauliflower head out/most of the bulky stem, and pulse the remaining through a food processor until rice-like consistency – heat with 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat until tender, about 4-6 minutes.
10. Serve meatballs and sauce over the rice in a bowl.

Enjoy!

-S