Chinese spiced meatballs with seasonal veg and wild rice
November 13, 2015
Meatballs don’t always have to come in tomato sauce, around pasta or in a Sub Roll. Being a little more creative with your dishes by a slight change can create a dish so different and fantastic, you’ll never want to turn back.
You may not always associate a meatball with Chinese food, but it’s allowing your food to go a little further, using a cheaper meat alternative and to get your taste buds tingling to new flavours.
This weekend, why not get the Children involved in making the meatballs to create a meal together.
I have teamed this dish by using ribbons of seasonal Courgettes and carrots, again, so easy for the children to make as you just use a potato peeler.
This is my take on that takeaway classic thats normally swimming in a heavy sweet and sour sauce. It’s healthier, cheaper and if you make too many Meatballs at the raw stage, just freeze down for another meal.
Chinese spiced meatballs with seasonal veg and wild rice:
Ingredients:
(Serves 4 approximately)
(Meatballs):
– 1-2 Tbsp Rapeseed oil
- 5oog Pork Mince
- Salt and cracked Black pepper to season
- 1 heaped Teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice I used Spice Kitchen’s own blend
- 1/2 a large Green chilli ( mild) diced finely or 1 small one
- 1 clove of Garlic finely chopped d or 2 if small
- 2x Thumbnail size amount of fresh ginger finely grated
- 3-4 spring onions chopped as finely as you can get them
- Small handful of chopped coriander
(Veg mixture):
– 1-2 tbsp of Rapeseed oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 1-2 carrots ( depending on size )ribboned with a potato peeler
- 1 Courgette Ribboned with a potato peeler * Don’t peel the skin away, thats the best bit!
- 1 yellow pepper sliced lengthways
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- Thumbnail size amount of grated fresh ginger ( Wang Fung Hong )
- 1 -2 tbsp superior light soy sauce ( Mine was from the Chinese supermarket Wang Fung Hong in Leicester )
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce ( Wang Fung Hong )
- 1-2 tsp of Chilli Bean sauce ( Wang Fung Hong )
- 1-2 tsp of honey ( I used the non clear )
- A good spritz of lime juice
- a handful of chopped coriander to finish
Wild basmati rice to serve.
Method:
* Cook rice to packet instructions.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl for your meatballs together and form meatballs, place aside.
- In a frying pan fry off your meatballs turning after a few minutes. They should take about 10 minutes in total approximately or when cooked through.Pop aside when done.
- In a separate wok , start to stir fry your onions and peppers, then after a minute or two add your courgettes, tossing the vegetables around the Wok continuously.
- After about a minute, add the carrots, garlic and Ginger, be careful the ginger doesn’t burn.
- After a minute or two add your soy sauce, Chilli bean sauce, oyster, 1 tsp of honey and a small spritz of lime. Stir and taste to see what sauces you need to add more of.
- Add in your meatballs and coat them with the sauce. They need to be fully warmed through.
- When you are happy with the taste of your sauce, add in chopped coriander and serve on a bed of hot Wild rice.
NB: If you didn’t want to add in too much chilli bean sauce then reduce the amount, if you want more spice add in extra fresh chilli to your sauce.
ChezJ9 