Spinach Patties

This is one of my non-precise, non-baking recipes. When it comes to baking, I try to be fairly consistent in terms of ingredients, measurements, etc. When it comes to "food," not so much. This is a very loose recipe for Spinach Patties, which can be a pain to make, but are oh-so-good! This is also one of those dishes that can be changed in a huge number of ways (for instance, when I first had these they were made with Swiss Chard), and can be a side dish, entree, or breakfast, and can be eaten hot, warm, or cold (I LOVE them right out of the fridge). Have fun.

Oh, yeah, I recommend that you make the mix at least two hours ahead, if not the night before.



Ingredients
Makes a butt-load of patties! I make a ton, then we eat them for two days. But you can cut the recipe in half, if you wish.

• 2 cups rice
• 4 cups water
• salt

-------------------------------

• 2 eggs
• 1 bag (about 2 cups) of shredded / grated cheese of your choice - I use Sharp Cheddar
  (You know those ziploc bags of shredded cheese? One of those.)
• 1 bag fresh spinach (10 oz is fine - or more if you want)
• Oil of your choice for frying
  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Instructions

1. Put the 2 cups of rice in the 4 cups of salted water, cover, and simmer until rice is done - about 20 minutes. Do this in a BIG (4 or 5 qt) pan.
2. While rice cooks, wash, stem, and tear up about three quarters of the bag of spinach (or the whole bag - knock yourself out). Open the bag of cheese and have it ready to go. Get out the two eggs. Seriously, once the rice is done, you have to move sort of fast.
3. The MOMENT the rice is done, add the two eggs and mix thoroughly. Dump in the cheese, and mix until the cheese is melted and well-incorporated. Add the spinach, mixing after each handful (this is the hardest part, getting all of the spinach dispersed).
4. OK, now you can leave the mixture to cool down to about room temp (cover loosely with wax paper), or you can cool it down and then put it in the fridge for a few hours (at least two, but overnight is fine). If putting it in the refrigerator, cover the surface with wax paper to keep it from forming a dried, crusty layer. This firms up the mixture, and makes it MUCH easier to form into patties before frying.
5. Once mix is cool/cold, form patties much the way you would make hamburger patties. I like mine on the thinner side so that they don't take forever to cook. Using a non-stick frying pan or skillet (or both at the same time, if you want to eat them hot with dinner), fry the patties in oil (I use light olive oil) over medium heat. These take a while to cook, so don't raise the heat too high, and try not to rush them. They are ready to flip once the side is nicely browned and the patty holds its shape.

Variations

As you can imagine, you can do all sorts of variations with this recipe. Try different cheeses (Cheddar Jack works well for a spicier patty). Use different greens like kale, swiss chard, or collards. Add chopped, sauteed onions or mushrooms. Want more fiber? Use half brown rice (and increase the water and cooking time a bit). Go nuts - and if you try this recipe, let me know.

Comment posted by Kris
at 11/20/2007 9:07:00 AM
God Gord, woman. That sounds too freaking good. Great source of iron, which I struggle with. It's 10:00 a.m....too early to start cooking? Nahhhh.....

Comment posted by iblee
at 11/19/2007 7:13:00 PM
mmm! I'm so doing this.