food & dining
Vietnamese-Style Chicken Meatballs for Dinner
KERI WHITE | SPECIAL TO THE JE
M Photo by Keri White
y daughter recently invited a bunch of gal
pals to the beach. We had planned a tradi-
tional burgers-and-dogs cookout, but she
informed me that one of the guests would only eat a
“chicken burger.”
I rolled my eyes a bit, but dutifully bought a pound
of ground chicken at the supermarket to accommo-
date this preference. Then chicken-burger girl didn’t
come, and I was stuck with a pound of something
that I never use.

But I have spoken before of my abhorrence of waste
and was determined to find a tasty use for the ground
chicken. This simple recipe was a huge hit, as was the
brown/cauliflower rice blend and the accompanying
salad. Vietnamese-Style Chicken Meatballs
Makes 12 meatballs, which serve 3 or 4 people
Before I made these, I looked at several other rec-
ipes and came up with my own. I was pleasantly
surprised that the meatballs held together well
without additional binders — no egg, no panko or
breadcrumbs — so the dish is a good option for
people with allergies.

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil for frying
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce or Japanese barbecue
sauce ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
Fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, mix the
chicken, ginger, garlic, jalapeño, 3 tablespoons of
the onion, cilantro and soy sauce. Heat the oil in
the skillet with the remaining tablespoon of onion
until fragrant.

22 SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Form the chicken into meatballs — slightly
smaller than a golf ball. Pack them rather firmly,
and place them in the skillet to brown. Turn the
meatballs over until the outsides are browning,
but they are not cooked through. Each batch
should take about 5 minutes.

Place the meatballs in an ovenproof dish with a
lid. (I used a square Pyrex or Corning-type 2-quart
dish). Set the meatballs aside and make the sauce:
In the same skillet, add the ginger and garlic to
the sautéed onions. Stir until fragrant. Add the
remaining ingredients, and stir while bringing it
to a boil. Cook for several minutes until the liquid
reduces a bit, and then pour it over the meatballs.

Cover the meatballs, and bake them in a heated
oven for 30 minutes until they are cooked through.

Top the meatballs with fresh cilantro, and serve
them over rice or with lettuce cups.

Brown/Cauliflower Rice
Serves 4
Like many of my recipes, this came out of a need
to pivot. I had intended to make brown rice, but
the quantity left in the bag was insufficient for the
four guests I intended to feed, and I did not have
time to go to the store.

I scanned the pantry and fridge and discovered
that I had a bit of raw cauliflower rice left from
another recipe. An idea began to germinate. It
worked — and when this side dish was topped
with the tasty meatballs and flavorful sauce, no
one sneered about the whole grain rice laced with
vegetables! 1½ cups brown rice
1 cup cauliflower rice
Pinch of salt
In a large saucepan, cook the rice according
to the package directions. When it is just done
and still hot, remove it from the heat, and add the
cauliflower rice. Stir, cover and let it sit for a few
minutes. This will “cook” the cauliflower rice and
deliver a nice texture.

Soy-Rice Vinegar Dressing
Makes about ¼ cup
This dressing was the perfect complement to
a simple summer lettuce salad. It could also be
tossed with any of the following, or a combo
thereof: baby greens, raw cucumbers, sliced
tomatoes, grated carrots, chopped cabbage,
green beans or even cooked veggies.

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil (or other mild oil)
1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
A few drops of Sriracha or other hot sauce, if desired
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch sugar
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl or seal-
able container until ready to use. JE



arts & culture
‘Rehearsals’ Pulls No Punches in
Depictions of Relationships,
Israeli Theater
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE EDITOR
F rom the very fi rst scene of
“Rehearsals,” viewers will real-
ize the show isn’t sugarcoating
how things work behind the scenes in
theater, nor is it casting a warm glow
on those who bring it to the stage.

In that fi rst scene, we see the cur-
tain call of a play, complete with the
actors smiling and waving to an ador-
ing crowd. But as they come off stage,
it’s clear that all is not well. Th e male
lead curses about having to do an extra
curtain call and is more interested in
getting the score from a sporting event.

His co-star thinks he was dismissive of
her, while another actor confronts him
because he cut short her punchline.

All of this happens in about two
minutes, and we haven’t even met the
stars of the series, known in Israel as
“Hazarot.” Th e 10-episode series airs
on Hulu in its native Hebrew, although
English subtitles are available.

Th ose stars would be Iris (Noa Koler)
and Tomer (Erez Drigues), professional
partners who are, respectively, a play-
wright and a director. Oh, and they’re
romantic partners whose most recent
work chronicles their relationship.

We fi rst meet them pitching their
new “Echad + Achat” (One Plus One)
to the tough-as-nails Mishkan Th eater
manager Vera (the scene-stealing
Eugenia Dodina). She doesn’t seem too
impressed, however, so Iris and Tomer
drive home disillusioned.

You already get the sense that the
couple is struggling and, sure enough, a
fi ght breaks out that night when Iris falls
asleep during sex; aft er extensive argu-
ing, Tomer fi nally expresses the desire
to break up. He leaves their apartment to
cool off and, sure enough, a few minutes
later receives a text from Vera saying the
theater is interested in the play.

And that means that even though
Tomer subsequently moves out, he’ll
still be working regularly with his long-
time former girlfriend, who isn’t so
ready to end the relationship — even if
she still has plenty of gripes as well with
Montefiore Cemetery
Company From our family to yours,
we wish you a very
Happy & Healthy
New Year!
L’Shanah Tovah
Let Montefiore Cemetery help you protect
your loved ones from overwhelming
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ONTEFIORE C EMETERY C OMPANY
Serving the Jewish Community…Preserving Our Tradition
From left: “Rehearsals” stars Erez Drigues and
Noa Koler
Courtesy of Hulu
600 Church Road • Jenkintown, PA 19046 • 215-663-1250
www.montefiore.us JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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