Little Red Croquettes
This recipe came about on one of those nights when I had no idea what to make for dinner, and just threw different ingredients together to see what would happen. The result was impressively tasty!
4 cups cooked short grain brown rice
3 cups whole grain breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups finely ground walnuts
4 broccoli stalks, trimmed and peeled
1 red bell pepper
1/2 lb mushrooms
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery
1/2 a large white onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp paprika (yep, that’s TWO TABLESPOONS)
1 tbsp ground sage
2 tsp each ground sage, rosemary and sea salt
a few dashes each of sea kelp and cayenne pepper
oil for frying
Place all the veggies in your food processor and pulse until they are very finely minced. Gently heat the oil in a skillet or pan and sautee the minced veggies for just a few minutes, until they are tender. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, until everything is thoroughly combined. If the mixture seems too wet, add more breadcrumbs until it is of a consistency that will be shaped easily.
Scoop out 1/3 of a cup handfuls of the mixture and shape into small, thick croquettes, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and add the croquettes to the pan, a few at a time. Fry until crispy and browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 250 F oven until all the croquettes are cooked.
Serve alone or with a gravy or dipping sauce; tofu sour cream, or soy yogurt tzaziki are excellent, or try a sweet chutney, salsa or relish.
Serves 4 – 6, depending on appetites.