Japanese Miso Meatballs with Sweet Rice

Japanese meatballs often are prepared by grilling on skewers—that’s why the meat mixture is formed into ovals instead of thick, round balls. The cooked meatballs are then basted with a simple sweet, spicy, and salty sauce and served with grilled vegetables or rice.

Miso is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine, and I used it here as both a flavor enhancer and binder for the meatballs. Instead of grilling, I baked the meatballs and served them over a bed of sweet, slightly sticky rice and dressed it all with a salty, sour, and sweet sauce with a little bit of spice. 

For another spicy meatball recipe using ground turkey instead of beef, check out Thai Sesame Meatballs with Ground Turkey and Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Meatballs and Sauce

• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 1/3 cup panko, or other fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 3 Thai chiles, finely chopped
• 2 small scallions, finely chopped
• 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp white or yellow miso
• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek (fresh ground chile paste)
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• chopped chives, for garnish

For the Rice

• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
• 1 cup short-grain white rice (such as arborio)
• 2 tbsp honey, divided
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried red chile flakes
• sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Arborio Rice

Preparation

For the Meatballs and Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients (through brown sugar) in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix gently with your fingers and form into 12 ovals (about 1/2 inch thick).
3. Place the meatballs on the pan and bake until browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Meatball Ingredients Ready to Mix 

Meatballs Ready to Bake 

Meatballs after Turning

1. Combine the lime juice and next 6 ingredients (through sesame oil) in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. (Reheat gently over low heat if not using right away.)

Sauce for the Meatballs and Rice

To serve, divide the rice (recipe follows) among 4 plates and place 3 meatballs on top of each. Spoon the sauce over all and garnish with chives.

For the Rice

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the scallions and stir-fry 1 minute.
2. Add the rice, 1 tablespoon of honey, brown sugar, and chile flakes and season with salt. Stir-fry 1 minute.

Rice Beginning to Cook

1. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of honey.

Broth Added 

Cooked Rice

Skillet-Seared, Coffee-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Honey-Butter

Adding ground coffee to a spice rub deepens the flavor of the rub, giving it a rich, “roasted” taste to complement the chile powder and smoky paprika. Brown sugar softens the savory flavor with a hint of sweetness to round out this fragrant dry marinade for tender, seared lamb chops.

A cast-iron skillet is the go-to vehicle for searing the chops. The heavy skillet, combined with the dark rub, results in a rich, blackened look and flavor for the lamb. Nothing wrong with that.

I finished the chops with a simple mixture of creamy butter and honey to balance the savoriness of the lamb and spices. Let the butter soften at room temperature for about an hour and it will be ready to blend easily with the honey.

If you like grilled lamb chops, check out Grilled Lamb Chops with Grilled-Garlic-Oil and Corn on the Cob.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tsp finely ground coffee (preferably dark roast)
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• sea salt
• 2 8-oz lamb shoulder blade chops, about 1-inch thick
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp honey
• olive oil, for brushing

Coffee Rub Mixture

Lamb Shoulder Blade Chops

Preparation

1. Combine the coffee, chile powder, brown sugar, and smoked paprika in a small bowl and season with salt. Rub the coffee mixture all over the lamb chops and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Spice-Rubbed Lamb

1. Meanwhile, stir together the softened butter and honey in a small bowl, combining well. 

Butter and Honey Ready to Mash 

Mashed Butter and Honey

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Sear the lamb chops until medium-rare, about 6 minutes per side (or until desired degree of doneness).

Lamb Beginning to Sear 

Lamb after Turning

Skillet-Seared Lamb Chops

Let the chops rest 3 minutes, then dollop with honey-butter and serve.

Fire-Roasted Baba Ghanoush with Flatbread Toasts

Baba ghanoush is a Middle Eastern dish similar to hummus, except the baba ghanoush calls for eggplant instead of chickpeas, as in hummus. Garlic, olive oil, tahini, and fresh lemon juice figure heavily into both dishes, and toasted pita or naan bread is a tasty accompaniment for either. 

Baba ghanoush originated in the Levant region of the Middle East—largely today, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, and Syria. As with any dish from a particular geographical area of the world, many varieties of it crop up across the globe as time goes by.

Some baba ghanoush recipes call for chopped herbs, a mixture of spices, or onions and peppers, but the simplest, most authentic recipe is usually best: eggplant, sesame, lemon, garlic, and oil. Not only simple, but loaded with flavor.

Note: I roasted the eggplant over hot coals to bring out a smoky, rich flavor in the fleshy pulp. You also can roast the eggplant in the oven at 400° F. if you don’t have a charcoal grill.

Also note: I used pure sesame paste in place of tahini here to keep the “roasted” theme going. If tahini is easier to find, use it instead.  

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb)

olive oil, for rubbing, plus 1 1/2 tbsp

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tbsp sesame paste

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

sea salt

toasted flatbread pieces, such as naan or pita

Baba Ghanoush Ingredients

Preparation

1. Light a charcoal grill for direct, medium-high heat.
2. When the coals are ready, rub the eggplant lightly with oil and place on the grill rack over the coals. Roast until blistered and softened, turning several times, 20-25 minutes.
3. Remove the eggplant and let cool until easily handled.

Eggplant Beginning to Roast on the Grill 

Eggplant after Turning 

Grill-Roasted Eggplant

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and hold over a bowl to let as much water as possible run out. Dab the inside with paper towels. Scoop the pulp into a food processor and add the garlic, sesame paste, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until creamy smooth.
2. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and gradually stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Roasted Eggplant Pulp 

Pureed Eggplant Mixture

Baba Ghanoush

To serve, place the bowl of baba ghanoush on a platter and scatter flatbread toasts around it.

Naan

Mushroom-and-Mascarpone-Stuffed Calamari with Easy Tomato Sauce

Squid has a very mild, slightly sweet taste, and its texture benefits from one of two cooking methods: hot and fast or low and slow. The quick-cooking method is typically best for squid bodies cut into rings, but stuffed, whole bodies tenderize better with a lower-temperature braise.

Here, I made a simple filling of earthy crimini mushrooms and sweet, creamy mascarpone cheese, and topped the stuffed calamari with a simple tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. The ingredients are few but the taste won’t disappoint.

For a quick-cooking calamari dish, try Pasta with Calamari and Sweet Peas in Garlicky Cream Sauce.

Makes 5 small stuffed calamari

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes (from a 28-oz can)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp white sugar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Calamari

• 2 tsp plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 5 oz crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 5 oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 5 medium cleaned squid bodies (tubes)
• olive oil, for oiling dish
• 1/3 cup shredded or coarsely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cooked orzo

Filling Ingredients

Cleaned Squid Tubes

Preparation

For the Tomato Sauce

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, white wine, vinegar, and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly until thickened, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Tomato Sauce Beginning to Cook

Easy Tomato Sauce

For the Calamari

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of butter. Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender and the liquid is absorbed, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool 10 minutes.

Mushrooms Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Mushrooms

1. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and add the mascarpone and parsley. Stir well to combine.
2. Stuff the squid bodies loosely with the mushroom-cheese mixture (about 3 tablespoons per body; over-stuffing can cause the flesh to break).

Filling for the Calamari 

Stuffed Calamari

1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter sizzles, add the calamari and cook until beginning to brown, 8-9 minutes, turning on all sides. (Note: The mascarpone will begin to ooze out of the tubes. That’s okay—it makes great pan juices.)

Calamari Beginning to Cook

Browned Calamari with Pan Juices

1. Remove the calamari to a lightly oiled baking dish, along with about 3 tablespoons of the pan juices, and pour the tomato sauce on top. Scatter parmesan over the sauce.
2. Bake uncovered until the sauce is bubbly and the calamari is cooked through, 20 minutes.

Calamari with Pan Juices

Baked Calamari

To serve, divide the orzo between 2 plates and place 2 or 3 calamari on top. Spoon sauce from the baking dish over the orzo and serve right away.