Mexican Style Baked Pork Meatballs with Brown Rice

I have 2 kids under 6, one of whom is a very fussy eater, particularly when it comes to eating veggies!  So I'm always looking for any opportunity to "hide" veggies in whatever I cook.  This is one of those dishes - and it was a hit with the whole family!

Ingredients (serves 6-8)
350g brown rice, soaked for at least 6 hours prior to cooking (soaking wholegrains prior to cooking makes them easier to digest and also quicker to cook)

Avocado slices and chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Meatballs:
500g free range pork mince
Handful or 2 of mushrooms, finely chopped
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
1 free range egg
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp celtic salt
1 tsp rapadura sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

Sauce:
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
1 large green capsicum, sliced
300g tomato puree
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients.  Mix with your hands and shape into about 12 meatballs.  Put the meatballs in a large baking dish, cover and set aside into the fridge while you prepare the sauce.

2.  Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat.  Add diced onion and minced garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until softened.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.  Pour the sauce over the meatballs and bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

(In Thermomix, add halved onion and garlic cloves.  Chop 5sec/sp5.  Add butter and cook 2min/100deg/sp1.  Add remaining ingredients and cook 5min/100deg/rev+sp1).

3.  While the meatballs are in the oven, cook the brown rice as per the packet directions.

(In Thermomix, put 1L of water into the TM bowl, place pre-soaked rice into the rice basket and cook for approximately 30min/Varoma/sp4).

4.  Serve the rice topped with meatballs and sauce.  Top with avocado slices and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.