Chard Croquettes (Croquetas de Arroz Integral and Acelga)

This recipe is simple, inexpensive and nutritious. It is ideal for those days when you’ve made a pot of brown rice to accompany dinner and realize, sadly, that you have a LOT of leftovers.  In an attempt to make sure your family does not get tired of eating the same dish over and over, you can fold the excess brown rice into another recipe, one in which the two main ingredients are vital to our daily bodily functioning. They belong to the category of cereals and vegetables: rice and chard.

Croquettes are typically shaped like a cylinder or oval, and then fried in oil. For this healthier version, I have formed small balls of the size of a walnut and I have used only a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. This makes them lighter, and using less oil means the croquettes retain less fat. You can also prepare them baked in an oven where oil is struck from the recipe entirely. This recipe can be used as a healthy appetizer or as a healthy vegetarian main dish.

These rice croquettes are perfect for both adults and children. The chard filling creates a subtle flavor that works as a great alternative for picky children who prefer not to eat green vegetables.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 clove garlic, chopped

1 bunch swiss chard

3 to 4 tablespoon light ricotta cheese

3 to 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Cru shed red pepper (to taste)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

1 ½ cup brown rice

2 tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs (also 7 oz extra to cover croquettes)

1 egg

Chopped handful of fresh parsley

2 chopped garlic cloves

Salt and freshly grounded black pepper

Procedure for preparation croquettes

1. Wash the swiss chard and pinch off the leaves at the top of the stem. Discard the stems

2. Chop the garlic cloves

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the chopped garlic.

4. Add in the chopped chard in the skillet

5. Reduce heat to medium and cook until pieces are tender

6. Introduce into the skillet the ricotta, the Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper.

7. Stir and adjust the seasoning to taste.

8. Place in a bowl 100g of chard filling and 1 ½ cups of brown rice, an egg and 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

9. Mix the breadcrumbs with garlic and parsley, salt and black pepper

10. Cover each ball with breadcrumbs.

11. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add small balls of croquettes and cook them until they turn lightly brown