Many Asian cultures have a unique approach to food and eating – to create wellness. Food should nourish our bodies, but it should also be tasty. It definitely is no fun to eat something that is “good” for us but doesn’t taste good, right? There are other aspects of Asian dining that can be healthful, too.
For instance, meals are served on smaller plates and chop sticks are used. Using chop sticks encourages us to eat slower and possibly chew our food more, both of which are beneficial to our health. Check out this post about chewing our food (to chew our food thoroughly actually has a name).
Eating slower is good for our health because it lowers the blood glucose level released by the body during the digestion process. I am thinking that maybe using chop sticks might be a great technique for those battling weight or metabolic issues. Interesting thought isn’t it?
This easy Asian dish has some great health benefits such as: The meatballs have both ginger and garlic which have anti-inflammatory benefits, and we cannot forget about the awesome flavor they add to dishes. I have added finely chopped onions to the meatballs (I tend to add onions to a lot dishes). Onions are nutrient-dense, high in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and along with garlic, they contain cancer-fighting compounds!
Traditional Asian food would be served with rice, but I decided to serve these meatballs with sautéed red cabbage. Cabbage is a real “super” food, very economical, can be served in many different ways, and has mega health benefits. Cabbage is considered the “king” of the cruciferous family of vegetables.
Health Benefits of Cabbage
- Nutrient-dense/low calorie (check out my post about why counting calories may not be that important)
- Anti-cancer properties
- Has anti-ulcer components which are important for the growth and regeneration of cells that line the gastrointestinal tract
- May help prevent diabetes
- Provide a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (especially red cabbage). Here is another great recipe if you like red cabbage
- Anti-inflammatory
Cabbage is definitely a power-packed food.
Give the recipe a try, and if you want to make a batch of rice to serve with it to make it more authentic, that would be great too.
If you are wondering how I get all the meatballs the same size and shape, this is what I use; plus I don’t have to get my hands all yucky. I used the middle sized one for these meatballs.
Do you eat a lot of cabbage? What is your favorite way to prepare it?
Be Blessed,
Heather
Meatball ingredients
Sauteed Cabbage Ingredients
Meatballs ready for the oven.
Cooked meatballs.
Asian Meatballs with Sauteed Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (1 to 2 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey or pork
- 1/4 cup almond flour or meal
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat (I like to use 2 tablespoons lard and 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
- 4 to 6 cups of shredded red cabbage
- 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl combine the coconut aminos, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, and black pepper.
- In a large bowl, add the ground meat, egg, and almond flour/meal and mix until blended.
- Add the coconut amino mixture to the meat mixture and thoroughly combine everything.
- Form into 16 to 20 meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, heat the fat in a large fry pan over medium-low heat.
- Once the fat is melted, add the sliced cabbage and saute until the desired tenderness is reached, about 15 minutes and stir often.
- Once the meatballs are done, place some of the sauteed cabbage in a bowl, add 4 or 5 meatballs, and topped with the chopped green onions.
- You can drizzle additional coconut amino sauce over the dish if desired.
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