Chard and Rice Croquettes (Croquetas de Acelga y Arroz)
As an appetizer or even as main dish, these croquettes will surprise your guests as they are healthy and also look enticing. One aspect of the healthiness of this dish is the fact that this recipe makes you bake the croquettes at high temperature in the oven instead of deep frying; but you can choose to deep fry instead...
Chard and rice croquettes
Ingredients:
* 1/2 lb. Chard, thoroughly cleaned
* 1 cup and 1/2 uncooked sticky rice
* 3 cups liquid chicken stock
* 1 onion, chopped finely
* 50 grams of cheese
* 3 egg whites
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon of thyme
* Pepper and salt
* 3 egg whites
* 1 cup of baking bread crumbs
Preparation:
1) Pour the chicken broth in a saucepan, bring to a boil then pour the rice in.
2) Cook for 10 minutes. Add the chard leaves and finish cooking the rice for 5 more minutes. Drain the rice with chard and cut both ingredients in the pan with a knife; the rice needs to be sticky.
3) In a bowl mix the rice and the chard with the onions, the cheese, 3 egg whites, cornstarch, nutmeg and thyme. Mix these ingredients with your hands, until you get a thick dough, so that can keep its shape as you give it a shape.
4) Put the roasting pan that you will be using to cook the croquettes in the oven then preheat the oven to 450 ˚F.
5) Beat the 3 egg white, in a bowl. Pour the breadcrumbs on a separate dish. Take a chunk of the rice dough and shape each individual croquettes, keeping your hands wet to avoid sticking.
6) Dip the croquettes in the egg whites first, then roll them in the breadcrumbs dish. Remove the roasting pan from the hot oven then lower the temperature to moderate (375 °F). Arrange the patties on the roasting pan and bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes.
