Vietnamese Turkey Meatballs with Cabbage Wraps and Quick-Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey

1 inch piece of ginger root, gratred

1 garlic clove, minced

1 egg

1/2 cup panko

1 tablespoon fish sauce

zest of 1 lime (reserve the juice for the sauce)

2 green onions, thinly sliced plus more for serving

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped plus more for serving

2 tablespoons olive oil, split

Place the egg, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, panko, lime zest, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Add the ground turkey and using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix everything together until well combined.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a baking sheet and then scoop the turkey meatball mixture into 1 inch balls using a small ice cream scoop, spoon, or eyeball it with your hands. Arrange on the cookie sheet and then drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top.

Turn the broiler on your oven to high, and move a rack so it is in the position just below the highest spot for a rack. Place the sheet pan with the meatballs on the rack and broil for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through and brown on top. Keep a close eye so that they don't burn.

Quick Pickled Vegetables:

2 large carrots, cut into thin strips

1 cucumber, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Place the carrots and cucumber in a small bowl and toss together with the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

Sauce:

juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon chili sauce(optional)

1 tablespoon sugar or agave

Whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce and sugar. Set aside until ready to serve.

For Serving:

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1 head cabbage, leaves removed and kept whole

cilantro leaves

mint leaves

green onions, sliced

Place a couple pinches of the quick-pickled vegetables on the bottom of a large cabbage leaf, top with two meatballs, a drizzle of sauce and garnish with some of the cilantro, mint, green onions and chopped peanuts. Enclose the filling with the sides and ends of the cabbage leaves. Repeat with remaining cabbage, meatballs, quick-pickled vegetables and garnishes..