A delicious, rich and sticky sauce coats lean pork meatballs in this healthy take of a old favourite.

For the meatballs
500g lean minced pork
40g porridge oats
4 spring onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
2 tsp Lazy Ginger
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice seasoning
1 egg, lightly beaten
Seasoning
Cooking spray

For the sauce
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 red, green, yellow or orange peppers
1 small tin (225g) bamboo shoots, drained
500ml passata
200ml pineapple juice
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
250g pineapple, cut into chunks (tinned works just as well as fresh)

Sesame seeds to garnish

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C

Note; This recipe can be cooked completely in the baking tray by putting it on top of the oven and heating. I found this a bit tricky so I used a large pan for the browning process at the beginning.

Mix together the minced pork, breadcrumbs, spring onions, garlic, ginger, Chinese 5-spice, egg and season with salt and pepper. Shape into golf ball sized balls.

Heat a heavy-based wide pan over a high heat and spray with cooking spray. Brown the meatballs for a few minutes, turning occasionally for an even colour. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and peppers to the roasting tray, along with another spray of oil if necessary. Sauté for a few minutes until they start to brown slightly.

Stir in the passata, pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce and bring to a simmer.

Transfer the whole mixture into a deep sided baking tray and nestle the meatballs into the sauce and add the pineapple. Return the meatballs to the sauce and add the pineapple. Gently stir into the sauce and put the tray in the oven.

Cook for 35 minutes until the sauce is rich in colour and the vegetables are tender. Serve over rice or noodles with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.