Sicilian Rice Balls With Mushrooms And Peas
Eat like the Sicilians do and pile your plate high with these crispy rice balls (aka arancini), which taste best when dipped in marinara sauce. The savory rice mixture is wrapped around a creamy mushroom and pea filling and baked until golden brown. You might want to make a double batch, because these snacks disappear quickly!
Rice balls, or arancini, are a popular Sicilian snack of leftover cooked rice mixed with other flavorful ingredients (usually meat sauce), breaded, and deep-fried. This version is filled with a savory mixture of mushrooms, peas, and onion and then baked to crispy perfection. Dip these scrumptious finger foods into a side of tangy marinara sauce to get the full Italian experience. Perfect as a dinner party appetizer or an afternoon snack!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups cubed Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 cups oil-free store-bought or homemade marinara sauce
- ¼ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups fresh cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, about 15 minutes or until tender. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl; mash with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine rice, 1 cup of the marinara sauce, the milk, the ¼ cup nutritional yeast (if using), and 2 of the minced garlic cloves. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, 7 to 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the rice mixture to potatoes; stir to combine.
- For filling, in a large skillet cook mushrooms, onion, and the remaining 1 clove minced garlic over medium about 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (if using), 1 tablespoon of the bread crumbs, the peas, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper (if using), and salt to taste. Cook for about 3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Let stand about 5 minutes or until mixture is cool enough to handle.
- Place the remaining bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Shape ¼ cup rice mixture into a 2- to 2½ -inch patty, dusting your hands with bread crumbs if the mixture sticks to them. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling onto center of the patty; fold edges of patty over filling to cover and roll into a ball. Roll each ball in bread crumbs to coat; place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rice mixture, filling, and bread crumbs.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Heat up the remaining 1 cup marinara sauce. Serve with rice balls.
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Courtesy: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-menus-collections/tasty-vegan-mediterranean-recipes/
