Author Notes
I came up with this recipe when I was looking for new ways to use spaghetti squash. I had seen spaghetti squash used on a General Tso's tofu sandwich at Number 7 Sub in New York, and I thought spaghetti squash would go well with Asian flavors. The cucumber salad was inspired by a David Chang pickle recipe in Food and Wine. —VanessaS
Ingredients
- Hoisin Turkey Meatballs
-
4 tablespoons
tamari
-
2 tablespoons
sesame oil
-
2 tablespoons
cornstarch
-
2 teaspoons
sambal oelek
-
2
inch piece of ginger, minced
-
2 pounds
ground turkey
-
1/2 cup
finely chopped cilantro
-
4
scallions, very finely sliced
-
1/4 cup
hoisin sauce
-
Juice of one lime
- Cucumber Salad and Lettuce Wraps
-
1/2
of an English cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch half moons
-
1 teaspoon
salt
-
3 teaspoons
sugar
-
1 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
-
1
inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
-
2
garlic cloves, thinly sliced
-
1 teaspoon
fish sauce
-
1 teaspoon
soy sauce
-
1
scallion, cut into 1 inch pieces
-
1
head of Boston lettuce
-
1
spaghetti squash
Directions
- Hoisin Turkey Meatballs
-
Preheat your oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Combine the tamari, sesame oil, cornstarch, ginger, and sambal oelek in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Mix in the turkey, cilantro, and scallions with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overhandle.
-
Scoop out 1 tablespoon size portions of turkey mixture, gently rolling each scoop into a ball shape. Place meatballs on the baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.
-
Mix hoisin and lime juice. Brush lightly over meatballs.
- Cucumber Salad and Lettuce Wraps
-
Toss the cucumbers with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar in a colander and let sit for 10 minutes.
-
Mix the remaining salt and sugar with the red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, fish sauce and soy sauce in a large, shallow bowl. Add the scallion and cumbers. Let the cucumber salad sit for 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so, before serving.
-
Gently remove each piece of lettuce from the head of lettuce, being careful not to tear any leaves. Wash and dry the leaves and set aside.
-
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place a half of the squash cut-side down on a dinner plate and put a tablespoon of water on the plate under the squash. Microwave on high for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the squash. Run a fork through each half, scooping out the strands of spaghetti squash.
-
To serve, fill each lettuce cup with some spaghetti squash, two or three meatballs, and some cucumber salad.
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