Asian Meatballs & Rice - From Family Table to the Lunchbox
Its no secret to people that Asian flavours are a favourite in my household. I love creating Asian style recipes and this is one of my all time favourites simply because of the depth of flavour in the sauce.
If my 6 years as a parent has taught me anything about kids and food it is this - kids love meatballs and they love rice so coupled together this is always a winner on the dinner table!
This recipe came about as I often use meatballs as a lunch option for the kids lunches. They love being in the kitchen with me rolling the "balls" when I batch cook for school and I know they will always be eaten when I use them in their lunchbox.
There is one thing I love more than a quick and easy lunchbox, and that is a dinner that has leftovers I can then use for lunches and portion off and freeze.
This recipe came up trumps for me. A simple trick of doubling both the rice and meatballs meant we had a beautiful dinner and I had 4 lunchbox options in the freezer:
Meatball subs - use dinner rolls and fill with meatballs, lettuce and cheese for a delicious sub
Meatballs and Rice - whether it be hot or cold this is a winner in all lunches
"Fried Rice" - my daughters favourite and I thinly slice some cooked chicken over the top
Cocktail meatballs - simply 3-4 meatballs with a food pick and there is lunch!
Prep 20 min // Cook 3 hours (meatballs are slow cooked)
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs
500g of pork/veal mince (or you can use lean beef)
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 tbs garlic powder
1 onion diced finely
1 tbs diced coriander
Sauce Ingredients
4 gloves garlic crushed
1 tsp ginger
1 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs Chinese cooking wine
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs honey
1 tbs brown sugar
Rice
2 cups cooked cold rice
1 packet steam fresh peas, corn and carrot cooked
½ red capsicum diced
3 tbs leftover sauce from slow cooker
METHOD
Meatballs
Mix together all the meatball ingredients and roll tbs size mixture into a ball and set aside.
Mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Place meatballs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.
Cook on high for 1 -2 hours or low for 2-4 hours,
Rice
Place rice in a pan and stir fry for two minutes.
Stir through the vegetables and add 3 tbs of the sauce from the slow cooker and stir through.
Place meatballs on top of the rice and drizzle over some of that amazing sauce!