Coconut-lime meatballs with Thai cucumber and bell pepper salad

• Zest and juice the lime; set aside the zest for the meatballs.
• Trim the root end from the romaine heart; thinly slice the leaves.
• Peel the cucumber if desired; cut the cucumber on the diagonal into ¼-inch-thick slices, then the slices lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick matchsticks.
• Remove the stem, ribs, and seeds from the bell pepper; thinly slice the pepper.

In a large bowl, stir together half the fish sauce, the honey, 1 tablespoon [2 TBL] lime juice, and 1 to 2 tablespoons oil. Add the romaine, cucumber, and bell pepper and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more fish sauce as desired. Let stand, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the rest of the meal.

• Finely chop, press, or grate the garlic.
• Finely chop half the shredded coconut; set aside the remaining coconut for toasting. 
• Cut a small corner from your protein packaging and drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a plate; pat dry with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, combine your protein, the garlic, chopped coconut, and lime zest. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix gently until just combined. Using wet hands, form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. 

In a dry large frying pan over medium heat, toast the remaining coconut, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the coconut to a plate to cool. Wipe out the pan. 

In the same pan used for the coconut, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. 

Transfer the salad to individual plates, top with the meatballs, and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Drizzle any remaining salad dressing from the bowl over the entire dish and serve.