Asian Style Roasted Pork Meatballs atop Vietnamese Salad

If you don't know it yet, or you are new to my blog, you must know that I adore Asian cuisine.  When I had to cut out dairy...it was an easy cuisine to count on for no dairy as most of the fare in inherently dairy free.  What it is definitely NOT though is inherently gluten free!  So when I read about The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen being released, I pre-ordered a copy...which I never do....I mean I knew NOTHING about the book and it's merits, and I am usually more than willing to wait for the cookbook to show up on my library's shelf before I purchase it. But obviously, I was excited about this one, as it is completely unique and not duplicated anywhere that I have found.  It was an added bonus that the author was local to Portland, so I was supporting a local 'business'...yeah!

All that besides, I have tried several recipes, and have been very happy with all of them.  What I was most longing for was some recipes for dumplings and stuffed buns sans gluten.  Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings is one of my favorite cookbooks, and I am so sad not to enjoy half of the recipes contained within anymore!  More recipes to come...but here is my first post from this book.  My daughter loved them and they promptly went into her lunch box the next day (wohoo..another interesting possibility!)  Don't be put off by the ingredient list, these come together in a snap.  Just note that the meat needs to marinate, the longer the better!  I chose to serve mine as a Vietnamese  salad for a main course, but you could serve them as is like an appetizer if you wanted.  The flavors and textures blend perfectly here....it is truly a party for your taste buds!!  Thank you Laura Russell!!

TIP: The meatballs by themselves would make a good appetizer served with any variety of Asian dipping sauces!

Serves 4

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork or dark chicken (no lean meats for these)
8 green onions,minced
7 cloves garlic, minced
2 fat stalks lemongrass, bottom 4 inches only  (where it is more tender), peeled, minced OR grated zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (my favorite is Three Crabs brand)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch

Salad:
6 ounces rice vermicelli noodles or Miracle Noodles like I did!
Vegetables to taste:
chopped fresh cilantro
chopped romaine or butter lettuce
grated carrots
cucumbers
bean spouts
1/2 cup roasted, chopped peanuts

Nuoc Cham Sauce (can be made in advance):
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup warm water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
Optional: thinly sliced Serrano chiles, minced garlic

Combine all meatball ingredients together except the starch.  Marinate at least 2 up to 24 hours.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Stir the starch into the meat mixture.  Form the mixture into 24 golf-ball sized meatballs.  Cook for 20 minutes or longer until golden brown.  While the meatballs cook, prepare your vegetables and rice noodles.  If you choose to use Miracle noodles, drain and rinse them.  Prepare your sauce by stirring all ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.  To serve, toss the vegetables of choice, the noodles, and the nuoc cham sauce together in a bowl.  Start with about half of the sauce, and add more to taste as needed.  Place the meatballs over the top and serve!

This recipe was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Friendly Friday,