So Very Domestic

I made these (recipe #14 from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious) alongside the Italian Meatloaf from the same book. The meatloaf was ok, but I had seconds of these rice balls! They're not a quick fix though, they take some effort to make, but just like everything else in life, when does quick and easy usually equal amazing? Alonst never, especially in the kitchen. These rice balls are actually loaded with chicken, sweet potato and either spinach, broccoli or butternut squash puree - I used spinach. I also used whole wheat breadsrumbs instead of whole wheat cracker crumbs.

Rice Balls - from Deceptively Delicious (p. 87)

1/2 cup short-grain brown rice
3 tsp olive oil
1/4 lb chicken cutlets, rinsed & dried
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup spinach, broccoli or butternut squash puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs

Cook the rice and the chicke cutlets before you start. If you happen to have leftover rice and/or chicken, even better.

I used my Magic Bullet, but you could use a food processor, to puree it into mush. Stay with me on this guys.

Now add the vegetable puree of your choice, cheese, salt and the buttermilk.

Puree!

Next add the cooked rice to the puree.

Now you can form balls out of the goo.

Plunk the rice balls into the beaten egg, so it's evenly coated.

Then roll the balls in breadcrumbs and you're ready to cook them.

Spray a pan with nonstick spray and then add the olive oil. Put some of the rice balls in the pan, but don't crowd them together.

They're ready in under 10 minutes. Don't forget that the chicken and the rice were already cooked so all you're really doing here is browing.

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