Asian Meatballs with Korean Noodles and Spring Onions- California Prunes

We’ve been back in the test kitchen and we have been getting creative with California Prunes to reduce fat within recipes. We have captured these prune Korean meatballs in our studio this week. It’s all about keeping amazing flavours whilst reducing fats in recipes. Let us now what you think of this one.

This recipe is all about removing some of the meat from a recipe and swapping it out for other ingredients that are super good for you. I have taken 200g of meat out of this recipe and replaced with cashews and California prunes as the meaty text of prunes and the sweet ness work really well and it makes for the perfect swap to help reduce a little meat consumption.

INGREDIENTS

• For the meatballs:

• 250g minced pork or turkey (usual recipe uses 450g mince)

• 100g cashew nuts soaked in boiling water

• 100g chopped California Prunes

• 1 clove garlic

• 20g fresh ginger

• 1 tsp miso paste

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 red chilli - finely chopped

• 1 egg

• 300g dried egg noodles

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 bok choy - sliced

• 4 spring onions

• For the broth:

• 900ml (2 pints) chicken stock

• 75g California Prunes

• 1 clove garlic - crushed

• 1/2 red chilli

• 20ml soy sauce

• 1 tbsp ketchup

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the cashew nuts into a bowl, cover with boiling water, and leave to soak for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile mix together in a large bowl the minced meat, chopped California Prunes, garlic, ginger, salt, chilli and miso.

3. Drain the cashew nuts, but keep the liquid to one side.

4. Place the soaked nuts into a food processor and blend with 2-3 tbsp of the soaking water.

5. Add the nut mixture and egg to the minced meat, and mix together.

6. Divide the minced meat into 16 equal portions (approximately 35g portions) and, with wet hands, roll into meatballs. Set aside while you prepare the broth.

7. To make the broth, pour 900mls chicken stock into a pan. Add the crushed garlic, sliced red chilli, miso and ginger, then bring to the boil.

8. Blend the ketchup, soy and California Prunes together and stir into the broth.

9. Add the meatballs, and simmer for 20 minutes until they are fully cooked.

10. Meanwhile cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until tender, it usually takes 4-5 minutes, then drain and divide up into 4 bowls.

11. Slice the bok choy and spring onions and scatter over the cooked noodles.

12. Using a ladle divide the meatballs and broth into the 4 bowls, top with sesame seeds and maybe a little coriander.

Serving Suggestion: If you like a little sharpness to your meal, try squeezing some fresh lime juice over the noodles.

Visit www.californiaprunes.co.uk for more prune recipes!