Recipe: Pork and Shiitake Mushroom Meatballs

PORK AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOM MEATBALLS

"Like all meatballs, they are good cold and make great appetizers. Serve with soy sauce mixed with vinegar and sweetener to taste or Thai sweet-and-sour chile dipping sauce. Add meatballs to chicken broth with finely shredded cabbage and ginger for a soup."

10 medium dried shiitake mushrooms
2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon each Splenda and Canadian Sugar Twin or 1 teaspoon Splenda
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 large eggs

Place the mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let stand until completely soft, about 30 minutes. Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms with your hands, remove the tough stems, and mince finely. Place in a large bowl.

Add the pork, soy sauce, salt, sweetener, green onion, oil, and eggs. Mix until everything is well-combined.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, using 2 Tbsp. (30ml) for each. Drop the meatballs gently into the water. When the water returns to a boil, cover the pot, turn down the heat to a simmer, and cook gently for 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Makes 24 meatballs

Per Meatball: Effective Carbohydrates 1.2g; Carbohydrates 1.4g; Fiber 0.2g; Protein 7g; Fat 10.6g; Calories 131

Source: The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnabay