Chicken Meatballs with Thai Peanut Sauce

       These past two months have wreaked havoc on me. In August, Mother Nature decided to throw a Sweet 16 party for Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Ida, a Catagory 4 storm, blew through South Louisiana August 29th, downing power lines and ripping roofs, fences, trees, and chimneys. We were very fortunate in having only very minor damage to our home, and also in having a generator. Many other families faced utter devastation.

      The Mister was home manning the fort while I had "Team A" duty at the hospital. Our power was off for 9 days, requiring Mr. H to keep things going in 90 degree heat and high humidity. Finding gasoline for the generator required a trip 2 hours away to his home town. Once power was restored, our washer and dryer ran non-stop! 

     Once things returned to near-normalcy, a trip I had planned months prior with my 4 sisters took me in September to New England and to the Boston convent of our "sister the sister." A four bedroom house on the convent grounds was home for the next week. We had a great time, laughing,  cooking, and playing board games, as well as taking day trips through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire .        

      However, I am now calling it The Great New England Death March.

      I am NOT out of shape. I walk a minimum 10,000 steps per day at work, and a mile with the dogs in the evening. My sisters, however, put me to shame. They walk a minimum 5 miles a day at a pace that forces me to run to keep up. On our trip, we "walked" at their pace, up and down the hilly landscape. Oh, it was picturesque, and we all had a great time visiting towns along the Atlantic coast. 

      Once home, I returned to my routine, and went back to work. But during that first day at work, my back seized up and I was unable to even stand without pain. A severe muscle strain with unrelenting muscle spasms put me out of commission. After dealing with this for over 3 weeks, I have great sympathy for people with chronic back pain. 

      This past week, Lea has been visiting from Austin, TX, helping Jane while her husband is out of town. Jane has said, "I love having a 'wife' at home!" Lea has been cooking dinner, and we all have benefitted! 

      This is Lea's recipe for Meatballs with Thai Peanut Sauce. She uses ground chicken (or turkey) for this low fat entrée. Toss with Thai Peanut Sauce (recipe follows). They can be served with fried rice, Asian rice noodles, a tangy cole slaw, or cool salad.

 Meatballs with Thai Peanut Sauce

2 pounds ground chicken

2 cans sliced water chestnuts, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup Fresh garlic, minced 

1/3 cup Fresh grated ginger

Soy sauce to taste

Chili oil or Lai gan ma (spicy chili crisps) to taste

Breadcrumbs if desired, or refrigerate to desired firmness.

3 tbsp chopped cilantro* Two sisters have the "anti-cilantro gene" that makes it taste like a chemical soap. This can be omitted if there is an aversion.
      Combine all ingredients. Fry a teaspoon of mixture to check for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Roll unto meatballs approximately 2 inches in diameter. Bake at 3:50 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning midway through. 

                       Thai Peanut Sauce

  
1/2 cup unsweetened natural peanut butter

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tbsp lime juice 

1 tbsp grated ginger

Combine all ingredients.  Thin with warm water to desired consistency.