Fabulous Focaccia, Lasagna, Kolokitho Keftedes, Timballo di Riso, Rice Cooking 101

Fabulous Focaccia!

I first made this a couple years ago, based on a recipe from Suzanne Dunaway's No Need To Need -- I got it as an e-book for $1.99.  What a revelation!  Simple, basic ingredients:  flour, water, yeast, salt.  A little olive oil and fresh herbs for brushing and topping.  Simple tools.  No kneading, just stir things into a shaggy dough, proof, pan, proof again and bake a short time.

One of the things that she wrote, which I appreciate, is that bread tastes best the day it is baked  -- so bake bread often.  Most recipes however have you making enough bread for 4-6 people for one day.  By the time the two of us get to the end of a bake it's just not as good as the first day.  So I took her basic Focaccia recipe and halved it, figuring that would be plenty of bread for two for one day. 

My version makes two nice 6"x 1" loaves or one 9-10" loaf.  Perfect for two people for two meals or thereabouts.  Half of one of these 6" loaves makes a perfect size sandwich.  Quarter of a loaf is perfect for sopping up soup.    

1 cup warm Water
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast (better than rapid rise) -- half a packet or more.
2 cups Unbleached AP Flour
1 tsp Salt
2-3 tsp EVOO for brushing
3 Tbsp fine chopped Rosemary for topping and adding to the dough
2, 6" round baking tins
Baking Spray or butter for prepping the tins

Put the water in a largish bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the surface and stir to dissolve.   

Add half the flour and the salt, and stir for about 2 minutes.  Then add the remaining  flour and stir for another couple minutes until the dough just pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Cover and let it rise in a warm place (it's Florida -- I put it outside in the shade on our lanai) for 30-45 minutes -- or even an hour.

Prep two 6" baking tins (or one 9-10" tin) with baking spray or butter, then "pour" the dough into each tin carefully (so as not to squeeze out any air).  Brush with the EVOO and let the nascent bread rise, covered, another 15-20 minutes on the counter. 

Bake at a pre-heated 400F for 30-40 minutes until you get 190-220F internal temp.  I always bake bread to temperature.   Let it cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the tin(s).

The best bread I have ever made!"

Vegetarian Lasagna
It's been ages since I made a lasagna, but Sally requested one for Sunday Brunch with Mum.  It's not cheap to make in today's market, but worth the effort, as you'll get at quite a few servings as leftovers.    I used sauteed mushrooms & green peas for one veg layer and wilted spinach with diced bell pepper for the other...

Sorry about the darkness of the top.  I had it on broil at the end of the baking, got distracted for about 30 seconds, and it went from lovely brown to black!  Certainly didn't affect the taste though...

1 box of no-boil Lasagna Noodles (any old lasagna noodles actually)
32+ oz. Pomi brand Finely Chopped Tomatoes or a jar of commercial pasta sauce
1/2 cup Faux Mince (ground "beef") -- I prefer the Gardein brand plant-based "ground beef"
18-20 oz  Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen Peas, thawed
1 bag (9oz) Fresh Spinach, stemmed
1 large Bell Pepper -- your favorite color, diced
24 oz. Cottage Cheese  or Ricotta -- cottage cheese is healthier
2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Italian cheese blend"
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning blend of your choice. divided
2 Eggs, beaten

• Mix the tomatoes, half the spice blend, and the faux meat together.
• Mix the cheeses, eggs, and the other half the spices together in another bowl.
• Saute the mushrooms and bell peppers separately and reserve. 
• Wilt the spinach and reserve.

In a 12x18 baking dish layer the tomato sauce, pasta, cheese mix, and veggies, beginning with a schmear  of sauce on the bottom, and ending with cheese mix on the top.   Top with additional cheese if you want -- it's all about the cheese!   Pour half a cup of water along the edges to help the pasta strips hydrate as the lasagna bakes.

Bake @ 350F for 45-60 minutes, and rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.   

Really best the way I did it --  make and bake the day before and rest in the fridge until the next day!  That lets most of the liquid to reabsorb...


Kolokitho Keftedes
That's "squash fritters" in English.  In this case the Greek dish using grated zucchini!   You can make these gluten-free and even more Mediterranean  by using a non-wheat flour such as Chickpea flour.

1 lb Zucchini, grated
1/4 of a whole Onion, grated
2 Tbsp chopped Parsley
2 tbsp chopped Mint
1/2 cup crumbled Feta
1/3 to 1/2  cup Flour
1 Egg beaten
White Pepper to taste

Grating the zucchini takes the most time.

Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the grated zucchini/onion mixture and place in a bowl.  I used both a salad spinner and my hands.  Toss with the pepper, parsley and mint.  Fold in the feta and beaten egg.  Then slowly add the flour  to make a sort of  "dough".  

Heat some olive oil in a skillet and add spoonsful of the dough, pressing down with a spatula to make about 4 fritters/patties with plenty of space around.    Cook 3-4 minutes on the first side to get them nice and crispy, then flip carefully and repeat.   Serve with a dollop of Tzatziki or plain yogurt.

Makes eight  1/3 cup fritters.   Double or triple the amount of mint! A new favorite thing to do with zucchini!

Timballo di Riso
Here's an 'oldie but a goodie'.  One of the best "make ahead" dishes I know.  A bit of work, but worth the effort.  

Timballo is Italian for "drum".  Here, Timbale di Riso means a drum-shaped filled dish with a body/crust made from rice (riso) and eggs.  Think of this as a very tasty snare drum! 

Crust
You can use, but don't need, short grain rice, which is extra sticky.  The eggs make the crust plenty sticky, and then crispy when cooked.  I used 5-6 cups of generic long grain cooked rice, seasoned with Turmeric as it cooked, for both color and flavor.  Let this cool completely before continuing to make the crust.  

Once the rice has cooled and been fluffed, put it in a large bowl and fold in 4 beaten eggs.  If the rice is at all warm you'll end up with scrambled eggs and rice -- not Good Eats!    The egg-rice mix is really sticky, so use a paddle or stiff spatula.

Filling

Make your filling while the rice cools.  The filling can be anything your culinary heart desires -- exotic meats and veg, Italian goodies like meatballs and pasta and sauce, Cajun/Creole gumbo or etouffee ingredients;  or in my case roasted veggies.  You'll also want to use appropriate seasonings to bring out the flavors.  Not much, if any, salt, please.

For this recipe you'll need about 4 cups of "filling".  I roasted potatoes, some faux meat balls, and large diced bell peppers.  I also add frozen green peas, mushrooms and a layer of fresh spinach which I wilted and cooled.  I flavored things with a combination of a generic Italian Seasoning, and our favorite spicy Everything Italiantm blend. about a tablespoon of each.

Assembly

Pack the bottom and sides of a 9" diameter springform pan with a 1/2" thick layer of eggy rice, using about 2/3 of the prepared rice.  You don't need to prep the pan first, but you do want to use a rice paddle or non-stick spatula here, not just your hands.  Measure the layer thickness, don't just guess, or you could run out of rice.  

Once the rice is packed and smoothed, spoon in the filling, in a couple stages, adding altogether about half a cup of shredded cheese (I used an five-cheese Italian blend) between layers.  Pack down the filling, then spoon the remaining rice on top and smooth it; sealing the top to the side crust.

Bake the completed timbale at 450F for 45-60 minutes until the crust is well set.  Remove the timbale to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before releasing the springform and slicing.   

This is another good "make ahead" recipe to eat the day after...

Rice Cooking 101
For well over 50 years I made rice on the stovetop with the "1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, simmer for 20 minutes"  recipe.  And the re4sults were what I had always expected. Good but not great. 

 For the last decade or so I've used an 'inherited'  rice cooker, and discovered "better" rice.  My 15 year old rice cooker died a week or so back.  This week I wanted to make the Timbale above, so I had to make a LOT of stovetop rice.   

 Just for fun I went surfing to see about cooking rice, and found Recipetineats.com.   I've visited Nagi's site before and found her recipes very useful.  This time she changed my mind about cooking rice on the stovetop!  

Her technique makes "rice cooker quality" rice when you don't have a rice cooker handy!!!

• 1 cup of short to long grain rice (not basmati or jasmine)  do not rinse.
• 1.5 cups water  -- Not 2 cups!
• Rice and water in a pot.  Bring to a simmer -- not a hard boil!
• Cover and reduce heat to low.
• Cook 13 minutes.  Don't peek.  Not 20 minutes.
• Rest off the heat 10 minutes.  Don't peek.
• Now open the lid and fluff with a paddle or spoon.

Wow!  I was blown away.  The best "pot rice" I've ever made!!!

Fajita Pasta Salad, Lavender Popcorn, Tomato Pie, Uttapam

 Fajita Pasta Salad
Here's a cool supper for a Global Warm day!

For the Vinaigrette
1/4 cup Lime Juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Maple or Golden Syrup
2 tsp Fajita Seasoning mix or more to taste
3 Tbsp Water

Whisk together and reserve

For the pasta
8oz box of Red Lentil or other non-wheat Rotini or similar past.

Cook to package directions, drain and reserve.

For the Vegetables
1 cup frozen (thawed) Corn
2 Bell Peppers diced large
Poblanos
Sweet Onion diced large
1 can Beans -- Pinto or Black, rinsed and drained
1 large firm heirloom Tomato diced, or equivalent smaller tomatoes
1 Avocado sliced
1/8 cup shelled Pepitas -- pumpkin seeds
Remaining Fajita Seasoning

Dust the corn, peppers and onion with the remaining seasoning and grill/air fry/broil for a few minutes until starting to color nicely.  Remove, cool and reserve.

Assembly
Gently fold together the cooked pasta and cooked veg.  Dress with half the dressing and chill for at least a couple hours before serving with slices of avocado and a sprinkling of pepitas; then dress with the remaining vinaigrette. 


Lavender Popcorn?
Sounds nuts, doesn't it?  It's Not!  Hear me out!  Awhile back a friend gifted me with a jar of Culinary Lavender (the edible version, not the perfume).   Of course I looked (and continue looking) for recipes to use it in -- ice creams, frostings, cakes, etc.  but hopefully some more savory recipes. 

I found, and tried the idea of a tiny pinch of culinary lavender in an omelet -- excellent!  It adds the faintest hint of floral to the other herbs I use like Za'Atar.  Then I found a reference to lavender and lemon-pepper as a flavoring for popcorn.  What?  

I LOVE popcorn.  Have a bowl almost every night as my after dinner snack instead of a sweet dessert.  So I finally just had to try the idea.  The original recipe had you mixing oil or melted butter with lavender and other things, including lemon-pepper. That recipe sounded like too much trouble to go to for a test.  

So I made my usual bowl of popcorn -- 1/8 cup of un-popped corn -- with my usual butter flavored popcorn oil and a bit of salt on the popped kernals.  Then I added a pinch -- just a pinch -- of lavender and a few cracks of lemon-pepper:  

 WOW!   Amazing!   Great aroma!  Buttery, salty, slightly sweet and slightly peppery taste!!     This could be the best thing I've ever put on popcorn!


Tomato Pie!
How did I get to be this old and not know about tomato pie?  I've lived in the Midwest and deep South, both places which claim the savory dish, yet I never heard of it until a week or so ago!!

In case you don't know, Tomato Pie is a flaky pie crust filled with alternating layers of slices tomatoes and cheese and basil, which is then baked until crusty and bubbling.  Sort of a deep-dish version of the classic Pizza Margherita.   

9" Pre-baked Pie Crust.  I used a rolled up crust and pre-baked it myself.
2-5 Tomatoes sliced 1/4" thick.  I used Yellow Tomatoes because I could.
Fresh Basil Leaves -- at least a dozen...
2 cups Shredded Cheese -- Cheddar and Mozzarella or whatever you prefer
1 cup Mayo or plain Greek Yogurt or half & half each
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper or other spices of your choosing.  I used Za'Atar and Spicy Italian seasoning.

Pre-bake your crust until just starting to brown.  Let it cool.  This helps keep the crust from getting soggy.

Combine the cheeses with the Mayo/Yogurt to make a cheese spread.

Slice the tomatoes, lay them in a colander and sprinkle with salt.  Set in the sink for about 10 minutes to help pull out the juice.  Then lay the slices out on paper towels and pat them as dry as you can.

Start layering with a schmear of the cheese spread in the bottom of the crust.  Then a layer of overlapping tomato slices.  Follow that with a layer of basil leaves.  Continue layering until you run out of ingredients, being sure to end with the cheese mixture on top.

Bake at 350F for about 30 minute until the cheesy top is nicely browned.  Let the pie rest for 15 minutes before slicing, so it has a chance to firm up before being cut.

Got a little dark around the edges... I forgot to cover them with foil...

Serve by itself or with a side -- salad, potatoes, sweet potato, ranch beans, succotash, or macque choux,  all make good sides to accompany the pie.

Here you can see how the slices of tomato and the cheese mixture are layered...

 

Not a Curry Uttapam
Uttapam are a savory, fermented/raised Indian Pancake made from lentil and rice flour, topped with diced veg.  Often eaten for breakfast in India, we had them for dinner the other night. 

Traditionally they are made by fermenting finely ground urad dal (lentils) and/or  chana dal (dried split chickpeas) and rice flour.  Then making a batter with water and setting it out to ferment 24 hours before.  Maybe sometime when I've got a couple days to plan ahead. 

Uttapam can also be made from oat or semolina flours, and using Baking Soda to get a rise rather than 24 hour fermentation with wild yeast.    That's better.  Better still, your local Indian market (like ours) may also have Instant Uttapam packets -- just add water!

Here's a simple recipe for Uttapam using Baking Soda and Yogurt to give you a really nice batter.  Makes 4 Uttapam -- dinner for two, these are pretty filling pancakes.

1 cup finely ground flour -- your choice -- semolina, rice & dal or oat

1/2 cup Skyr or Greek yogurt (plain, full ft)
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Water
1-1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Optional Toppings total about a cup:
fine diced Red Onion
fine diced Bell Pepper 
fine diced Hot Pepper or Green Chilis
diced, drained Tomato

In a blender, combine the first 4 ingredients and take for a nice long spin to grind the flour a bit thinner and make the batter.   Decant to a mixing bowl and stir in the Baking Soda.  Give the soda a few minutes to work while you chop up your toppings and get your non-stick griddle pan or skillet up to medium or  bit less heat.  With an electric stove and a 10 point dial, I cooked them on a 3 setting.  This is not a pancake race, cook them slowly for the best results.

Into you hot skillet/griddle ladle 1/2 cup of the batter and form about a 6" pancake.  Sprinkle with perhaps 1/8 cup of assorted toppings.  Drip a little oil around the edge as you gently lift and check the brown-ness.  When golden on the bottom, flip over and cook the second side about the same amount of time so that the onion and things caramelize nicely.  Remove to a warm storage plate, let the pan cool off the heat for a minute or so, and repeat with the remaining batter and toppings. 

Can be served alone or with a variety of sides.  We liked ours with our favorite Brinjal Pickle and a homemade Green Mango Chutney for a bit of vinegary heat.  If you're big eaters, serve with a hot vegetable side.

Red Cabbage Steaks, Watermelon Starter/Dessert, Minestrone, Fish&Chips

Red Cabbage Steaks
I first discovered this tasty supper dish  a year or so back.  Very Central European.  Simple, easy, fast, and tasty.  What more do you want?

Slice the cabbage about 3/4" thick -- top to bottom or around the equator, whichever you prefer.   Drizzle with nice EVOO.  Dust with caraway seed, salt and pepper,  and grill/airfry at 400F for 30-45 minutes until tender.  

Drizzle with balsamic glaze or vinegar, dress with feta or goat cheese, and optionally toasted caramel or honey-coated walnuts. 

Elegant Watermelon Starter or Dessert
Watermelon has been cultivated since at least 3500 BC, and sweet dessert varieties were popular across the Roman world.  This dish elevates simple summer melon to a whole new level!

Watermelon slices
Balsamic Glaze
Fresh Mint Leaves
Goat Cheese or Feta

You really want the thick balsamic glaze here, not runny vinegar.  If you can't find balsamic glaze at the store, make your own by simmer-reducing a cup of ordinary balsamic vinegar to a half cup of syrup.  Let it cool before using though.

I think you can see what to do -- slice melon, julienne fresh mint, drizzle balsamic glaze, sprinkle cheese...

That's a saucer, BTW, not a dinner plate size slab of melon.....

Minestrone
This ubiquitous Italian soup comes in a number of varieties, depending on the region and season.  All of them are perfect "clean-out-the-fridge" dishes -- classic Italian herbs and spices with dibs and dabs of assorted veggies, some potato, tomato,  leafy greens, squash, small pasta, mushrooms and cheese (usually Parmesan).  My version is no different; here's what I had in the fridge:

2 cups Mirepoix -- equal amounts of chopped celery, onion and carrot
2 small White Potatoes, skin on,  cubed
1 cup total, diced Red & Green Bell Pepper 

1 cup fresh green beans, topped, tailed, and halved
1 cubed Zucchini 
1/2  box  frozen chopped Spinach (or 3-4 cups fresh leafy greens if you have them)

1 large fresh Yellow Tomato, sliced 
1  can White Beans of some sort, Canellini are good

1/2 cup uncooked Orzo pasta (mine were non-wheat pasta)
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rosemary
Thyme

Oregano
Bay leaf
Garlic
Red Pepper Flakes
*  Instead of individual spices and herbs you can use a tablespoon or two of "Italian Seasoning".

Saute the mirepoix in some EVOO with some spices for a few minutes while chopping the other veg.  

Add more spices, herbs and 5-6 cups of water.  Now add the other veg, except the white beans, tomato and leafy greens.  Cook for about 30 minutes.

Last add the Orzo or other small pasta and the Parmesan cheese as a final bit of flavoring, and cook 5-10 minutes before serving.  Good Italian bread will help sop of the flavorful broth.

My Fish & Chips
Our favorite Friday night meal (and we're not Catholic), and one of Sally's all-time favorites of mine! 

I use cod or mahi mahi, or grouper.  The one pictured is mahi mahi.  I make a dredge of beaten egg with juice of a lemon whisked in, plus a dry dredge of white corn meal (not wheat flour). 

 I prefer Mrs. White brand Self-rising White Corn Meal.   I use the same flour to make exceptional cornbread as well...       

Dredge the filets in egg, dredge in flour, and slide into a hot oiled skillet.  I cook the filets at 350F in my electric skillet, with oil to cover the bottom, for 6-7 minutes per side.

The chips and sprouts (we love roasted Brussels Sprouts) are Air Roasted in my Ninja Flip oven for 30 minutes at 400F.  I spritz the veg with oil, then dust with Everglades Seasoning and Cavender's Greek Seasoning before roasting.    We always have a bottle of Malt Vinegar to dress the fish & chips with at the table.

Butternut Curry, Pav Bhaji, Tropical Slaw, Red Bean Multi-grain Rissoles

Two more explorations of curry...

Butternut & Coconut Curry

We eat a LOT of Butternut Squash -- at least once a week.  It's kind of a meaty 'steak' substitute for a lot of vegetarians.  I usually use it as the base of  variety of soups.  This dish however has become an instant hit.    I got the basic recipe from an Indian food blogger named Bhavana, and added some extra veg for more color and flavor -- bell pepper and mushrooms.  

The curry is made in the more or less standard Indian method -- flavor the oil, add and flavor ingredients, then make and flavor the "gravy".  Here we go:

"some" Curry Leaves -- get the real thing.  This is NOT the same as curry powder!  I'll be growing my own in the garden. 
1-2 tsp Cumin seeds (not powder)
3-4 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 Red Onion, diced
1 large Tomato (heirloom) or two Romas
2+ cups Butternut Squash -- 3/4" cubes, peeled and de-seeded, of course
1+ cups Frozen Peas
1/2 cup Mushroom Pieces
1/2 cup chopped Green Bell Pepper (because I had a green one not a red one...)
1 can Coconut Milk
Lemon Juice to finish
1/2 cup chopped Cilantro (I did not use this... we're not fond of the flavor)

Spice Blend
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Chili Powder or Paprika
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala

1.  Heat some oil in a large skillet.  Add the cumin seeds and fry them until they start to pop. 
2.  Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry a minute to release the flavor.
3.  Add the onion and saute until it's turning soft.
4.  Add the tomatoes and the dry spice blend. Cook until the tomatoes are getting soft.  
5.  Add the squash, mushrooms and coconut milk.  Cook about 15 minutes until the squash is getting fork tender.
6.  Add the (by now thawed) peas and cook a minute or two to heat them through.
7.  Finish with a couple Tbsp of Lemon Juice (and cilantro if using) and serve with Jeera (cumin) Rice or Rice & Lentils.

Pav Bhaji
Unlike 99% of all curries, this one is served with dinner rolls!  Pav Bhaji is quintessential Mumbai street food.  Think vegetarian 'sloppy joe'.  Not very spicy, but very, very good, and pretty simple steps to make.  Try it, you'll like it.  Unlike the Mumbai versions which are swimming in melted butter, mine is still tasty but uses a fraction of the "butter".

1 bag Frozen Mixed Vegetables (or peel/chop and cook a pound of assorted veggies)
1 large Red Onion, diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 cup Frozen Peas
2 Tomatoes, diced
3-4 medium white potatoes, skin-on, boiled and mashed smooth with a bit of plain yogurt
4-5 Tbsp Oliviotm for frying
2-3 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
3-4 Green Cardamon pods, cracked
1 Tbsp Cumin seed
Your favorite Dinner Rolls 
Pav Bhaji Masala Powder*
Lime juice to finish...

Pav Bhaji Masala
Quarter this recipe for one batch of curry.  Grind the following in your spice/coffee grinder:

4 Tbsp Coriander seeds
2 Tbsp Cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
6 whole Cloves
2 Green Cardamon pods
2 Black Cardamon pods
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp cracked Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Fennel seeds
1+ Tbsp Red Chili Powder/Hot paprika
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Tbsp Amchur powder

Thaw the frozen veg and pulse in your food processor -- don't puree -- you want some texture.  Reserve

In a large skillet, melt a couple tablespoons of Olivio and one of oil, and fry the ginger-garlic paste, cumin seed and green cardamon to flavor the butter/oil.

1.  Fry the onion, bell pepper and tomato until the tomatoes are getting mushy. 
2.  Add the pulsed mixed veg and frozen peas and continue frying. Mashing the veg as you go.
3.  Stir in the mashed potatoes and 2-3 Tbsp of Pav Masala and continue cooking, mashing. 
4.  Add a bit of water and/or additional Olivio to keep things from sticking. 
4.  Taste and adjust the spice level. 
6.  You want a consistency similar to sloppy joes when you're done.  
7.  Stir in a splash of lime juice just before serving
8.  Serve with hot dinner rolls for scooping. filling, and mopping up the goodness!

"And now for something completely different!"

Tropical Slaw
This concept comes from Blue Zonestm location in Costa Rica...  A much lighter version of the Dutch Koolsla or Coleslaw which came to the Americas in the 18th century with its mayonnaise dressing.  Simply dressed with lime juice.

2 cups shredded or julienned Cabbage (red or white or both) 
1 large Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 large firm heirloom Tomato or two firm Romas, diced
1/2+ cup shredded Carrots
1 can no-salt Chickpeas/Garbanzos
2 Limes, juiced and zested
Optional:  shredded Jicama,  1/4 cup chopped Cilantro,  chili powder

Toss to combine all the veggies in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with the lime zest, and liberally apply the lime juice overall, dust with chili powder if using.   Chill for an hour or so before serving.

Red Bean Multi-grain Burgers
I first made these burgers just about the time that Covid shut us all down.  They were good but I had "issues" with the Forks Over Knives recipe.  There's always "something" amiss with their recipes...  Last week I decided to re-visit the recipe and I fixed the issues.

1/4 cup uncooked Forbidden or Black Rice
1/3 cup uncooked Brown Rice
1/3 cup uncooked Quinoa (I used Red Quinoa)
1/2 cup uncooked Oatmeal (not Steel Cut)
1 small Onion, diced
1 cup Mushrooms, diced
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Cayenne
3 cups cooked Red Kidney Beans 
1 large Egg, beaten
1/2+ cup fine Bread Crumbs or Panko

In a sauce pan or your rice cooker, cook together the rice and quinoa.  Reserve.

Cook the beans, drain and rinse; or open cans, drain and rinse.  Pulse the beans in your food processor --  not quite a puree, you want some texture. Reserve.  

In a bowl, combine the grains, fine-diced veggies and seasonings.  Fold in the beans, oatmeal and a beaten egg.    Lastly, fold in the breadcrumbs or panko so that the mixture will form and hold the patty shape while cooking.

Use a 2/3 cup measure to make 6 large patties about 1/2" thick.  Fry for 6-8 minutes per side until crispy outside and creamy inside.  

Serve on  bun with your favorite condiments, or as a rissole with a side dish.    I like my rissoles with a slice of tomato, a bit of red onion, and a dollop of Bleu Cheese dressing...

Although I really like my Black Bean Rissole, this one gives them a run for the money in the flavor department.  if you're just not fond of black beans give these a try!