I live alone so I frequently have left overs. Sometimes that makes me happy because I want to eat whatever I made over and over! Often, I have a dish once or twice and I’m ready for something new. I am learning:
1. to make smaller portions
2. to refashion left overs in to another form that razzles and dazzles me
I am not always successful but occasionally I make something I will repeat. These rice balls are fun to eat, delicious and used up left over rice, shiitake and porcini mushrooms and other ingredients I had needing to be used. Best of all, they tasted yummy.
They are a bit sticky to form in to balls and roll in sesame seeds but I pretend I am a kindergartener again at the playdo table and get right in to the messiness. Making food that requires us to use our hands and get a little dirty makes it playful!
Adjust the vegetables, herbs and amounts to what you have on hand. The measurements below made eight large rice balls.
Air Fryer Brown Rice Balls
Ingredients
3 cups cooked organic brown rice (or any grain you have)
1/2 red or brown onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
30 grams dried shitake, cleaned and soaked overnight (or cooked in stock or No fish sauce), finely chopped
10 grams dried porcini mushrooms, soaked briefly in hot water, drained and finely chopped
1 tbs No fish sauce (or Redboat/Son fish sauce)
1/4-1/2 red pepper, stem and seeds removed and finely chopped
3 tbs organic flaxseed, ground
handful of fresh parsley, washed, spun, dried and finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup white and/or black sesame seeds
Method
Take the rice out of the refrigerator. Prepare the onion, garlic, red pepper and mushrooms. In a non stick ceramic pan, heat to medium low and add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cover and sauté for several minutes. Stir and add the mushrooms. Continue to cook for several minutes. Add the red pepper, garlic and No fish sauce (or fish sauce) and mix together cooking until the red pepper softens. Add in the rice and mix thoroughly breaking up all the individual kernels of rice. Cook for several minutes covered.
Grind the flaxseed in a spice grinder or a high speed blender. Alternatively you can buy ground flaxseed. Add to the rice and mix in. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Turn off the heat and Stir in the fresh parsley. Prepare a bowl of sesame seeds.
Once the rice has cooled enough to handle, with clean hand spoon a large amount of rice and form in to a ball with your hands. Roll in the sesame seeds and place carefully on your air fryer tray. Repeat until you have finished all your rice. Preheat your air fryer to 200 c. Air fry for 12-15 minutes checking at 10-12 minutes to make sure the sesame seeds are turning golden and not burning. Once finished, leave the balls for several minutes to firm up.
Enjoy hot, warm or at room temperature. These are great when you are out and about, on a picnic, need lunch for work or school. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
