Hawaiian Sweet & Sour Meatball and Coconut Brown Rice Bowls

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 can (20 oz. or 570g) pineapple chunks with juice
• 1/2 plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons prepared barbeque sauce
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into small chunks
• 1 large carrot, grated

Coconut Rice

• 2 cups brown rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 inch piece of ginger
• 2 cups full fat coconut milk

Meatballs

• 1 pound or 500 grams ground beef, turkey, or chicken
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (reserved from sauce)
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. First chop and prepare all vegetables and gather ingredients for sauce. In large saucepan melt butter and cook carrots and peppers until soft. Drain pineapples from juice and set aside, saving juice. Reserve one half cup of juice for meatballs and add remaining juice and all other ingredients for sauce to saucepan with peppers and carrots. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Pour 4 cups of water into medium pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add rice and ginger then cover for about 10 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and salt and cover again. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente adding more water if necessary.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
4. Line a baking sheet with foil and combine egg, salt, pepper, onion, reserved pineapple juice and breadcrumbs in medium bowl and stir to combine. Add ground beef and mix well. Roll large chunks (about 3 tablespoons) of mixture into balls and place on foil lined pan. You should have about 38- 40 meatballs. Bake for about 30 minutes until done all the way through.