Meal #2 Nuoc Cham Meatballs with Coconut-Braised Kale and Tofu

In our second meal from Tovala meal subscription service, my wife and I try the Nuoc Cham Meatballs with Coconut-Braised Kale and Tofu.  I picked this one from the available selection because it sounded Vietnamese, and my wife specializes in Vietnamese food so I wanted her take on the meal.

While I was walking the steps (documented in my video) about  how easy it was to cook a meal from Tovala with the oven, I discovered a problem with our oven so the meal didn't go as smoothly as planned.  A faulty water sensor in our Tovala Gen 2 oven prevented the pre-programmed meal program from starting at all.  However, Tovala support whom I contacted through the app was quick and responsive.  We managed to be able to fake the oven into letting us start cooking without the steam function (which may have caused the meatballs to be less moist), but as you can see it was primarily a soup base so I don't think it affected the meal too much.
Customer service had a new oven sent out to us in 2 days!  (We are only 30 minutes from the distribution company).

In the end I give this dish a 3/5.  My wife gives it a 4/5.  I tend to not like soupy based meals, and this fusion style dish didn't look as accurate or appetizing as their professional picture suggests. 

From Tovala:

NUOC CHAM MEATBALLS

with Coconut-Braised Kale & Tofu

Cook Time | 18:00

ABOUT

The glaze in this dish is inspired by nuoc cham, the Vietnamese dipping sauce. A little chili paste adds just enough heat to amp up its sweet/salty/sour flavor to complement beef, pork, and scallion meatballs. Serve over brothy, coconut-braised kale and tofu with a crunchy sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes.

NUTRITION

610CALORIES

47gPROTEIN

35gCARBS

38gTOTAL FAT

18gSATURATED FAT

190mgCHOLESTEROL

13gSUGAR

880mgSODIUM

20SMARTPOINTS

High Protein - More than 30 grams of protein.

GARNISHES

50calCOCONUT FLAKES

ENJOY BEFORE

Sunday, April 21st

CONTAINS

SOY

WHEAT

FISH (ANCHOVY)

SHELLFISH (OYSTER)

EGGS

TREE NUTS (COCONUT)

Packed in a facility that handles milk, wheat, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and gluten.

INGREDIENTS

coconut milk, hormone-free ground beef, hormone-free ground pork, chicken stock, yellow onions, extra firm tofu, kale, ginger ale, eggs, toasted coconut, panko bread crumbs, ginger, lime juice, garlic, oyster sauce, brown sugar, scallions, fish sauce, gochujang korean chili paste, cilantro, green curry paste, sambal, extra virgin coconut oil, kosher salt