Recipe: Asian Inspired Honey Glazed Meatballs

I was reading this article a few days ago which mentioned that the average person cooks an average of nine different meals on rotation every single week. They stick to their nine favourite recipes and cook them over and over and over again. 

Whilst I totally understand having your favourite recipes; I am someone who gets seriously bored with the same old same old - and Jesse does too. 

You see, we both came from households where we ate the same kind of thing over and over again. In my house it was spaghetti bolognaise, stir fry, beef stroganoff, curry and sometimes Mum changed things up and made something she saw in a Super Food Ideas magazine she picked up at the supermarket. 

I put the article into the back of my mind until I was at the supermarket with Mum and heard her bellyaching once again that she was bored with cooking dinner and the study popped into my mind once again. We live in a world where we have hectic lifestyles, fussy kids (or partners!), long days and limited time in the kitchen - but that doesn't mean we have to put up with boring dinners! 

That's why I've decided to set a new challenge for myself; to come up with as many delicious dinner recipes as possible this year to inspire you to get out of the "nine recipe rut", as we're calling it, and make dinner a little bit more fun this year. As well as being fun, we want to make sure it's healthy too - and easy as well. 

These dinner recipes are all designed to be super easy to make (because I too have a crazy schedule and limited time to cook dinner!), healthy and adaptable to suit a variety of food needs. So why don't you take the #SILDinnerChallenge with me? Let's shake things up and enjoy delicious dinners once again! Most of these recipes will also be made in smaller portions (usually 1 or 2) so they can be multiplied to feed a crowd or enjoyed alone!

But first, let me share the recipe with you! >>

Asian Inspired Honey Glazed Meatballs Recipe serves 1, easily multiplied 

gluten free, low fat, clean eating friendly, high protein

For the meatballs: 

~100-150g lean chicken, turkey or beef mince 

1 clove garlic, crushed 

1 tsp tapioca starch (optional, just helps to roll them if the meat mix is sticky!) 

For the sauce: 

2 tsp (10g) honey 

1 tbsp coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce 

1 clove garlic, crushed 

1/4 cup chicken stock 

1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water 

To serve:
Steamed veggies of your choice (we like to also mix them through the sauce with the meatballs and used thinly slice carrot, zucchini, snow peas and green beans in the pictured version) 

Cooked rice or quinoa

• Preheat your oven to 200C/390F (you can skip this and cook your meatballs in a pan if you prefer, we usually cook them in the oven as it means they cook on their own whilst we prep the rest!)
• Mix together your mince with your garlic and tapioca starch (if using) and roll out your meatballs. 
• Place your meatballs onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (cooking times will vary depending on the size of your meatballs). 
• Whilst your meatballs are cooking, cook your rice/quinoa if you haven't already and slice your vegetables ready to steam. 
• Once your meatballs are cooked, heat your honey, coconut aminos/soy sauce, garlic and chicken stock over a medium heat, stirring to combine everything. 
• Once your mix heats up and starts to bubble, add your cornflour/water mixture and reduce the heat to low. 
• Stir your sauce, ensuring that all of your ingredients are combined, and add in your meatballs and vegetables. 
• Gentle stir your mix, allowing the sauce to coat all of your vegetables and meatballs; removing the mix from the heat once the sauce is thickened to your liking and everything is cooked through.
• Serve your meatball vegetable mix with rice or quinoa or sides of your choice and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

But tell me, do you tend to get stuck in a dinner rut and cook the same things over and over?

Will you be joining us in the #SILDinnerChallenge and sharing your dinners with us on Instagram or Facebook?

To join in, simply #SILDinnerChallenge on Instagram (and tag us @southerninlaw so we can see your post!) or share your dinner pictures with us on Facebook. We'll be sharing our dinners each night and we can't wait to see what you're enjoying too! We're also working on finalising some delicious competitions and prizes for those who get involved too!