Ever since watching a movie where they served risotto balls as an appetizer in a nightclub, I have been wanting to try to make risotto balls. I found the perfect night to make them when our friends were planning to come over for dinner, along with the daughter who is a fan of white rice, among other bland foods. These risotto balls are anything but bland, yet they are perfect for someone with a less adventurous palette.
Maybe she would eat them, I hoped!
I am not sure if she tried them, but they disappeared so someone ate them and enjoyed them thoroughly.
Recipe:
Makes approximately 20
1 cup Arborio rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup potato Panko
1 cup frozen pea and carrot mix, defrosted
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Optional: Replace frozen pea and carrot mix with 7-8 ounces canned black beans
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large saucepan, combine water, rice and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 18-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly. Add Panko, peas and carrots, olive oil, eggs, flour, xanthan gum, salt and pepper and cheese, if using. Stir to combine
Shape mixture into balls approximately 1 Tablespoon in size. Place spaced out, a 1/2 inch apart, on greased a baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy a la carte or with your favorite sauce. We smothered them in my dairy free Pesto Sauce. Recipe can be found in my cookbook for purchase.
