Savory Oatmeal with Meatballs

Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned Quaker Oats
• 5-6 cups of water
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• A small tin of Chinese preserved vegetables
• Salt to taste (preferably sea salt)
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee’s)
• 2 teaspoons, divided light soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge)
• 2 teaspoons Shao Xing Chinese cooking wine (rice cooking wine)
• 2 small baby bok choy (about 6 ounces), cut into 2” pieces
• 2 green onion, chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons sesame oil (Kadoya)

Instructions

1. 1
   Open the tin can and minced ¼ cup of the preserved vegetables.
2. 2
   In a medium bowl mix the ground beef with the preserved vegetables, oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, ShaoXing Wine, white pepper. Roll into small meatballs (about ½” diameter). Set aside.
3. 3
   Add the oats and the water to a deep, 5.5-quart stainless steel or Cuisinart pot. Cover and bring the water to boil. Then, lower the heat to simmer and partially cover the pot. The trick is to make the oatmeal as smooth as possible. Add more water if the mixture is getting too thick.
4. 4
   When the oatmeal is smooth enough (probably 20 minutes), add the marinated meatballs to the oatmeal mixture and cook until meat is cooked (about 5-8 minutes).
5. 5
   Add the bok choy and the 1 remaining teaspoon of light soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt to taste and adjust seasoning.
6. 6
   Drizzle with sesame oil and chopped green onion. Serve hot.