Recently I experimented with making my own vegetable stock. If you’ve made stock, you know the amount of veggies left over that you either toss or compost. I wondered if there was another alternative, so came up with these wonderful little veggie patties made from the leftover vegetables from the homemade stock. If you haven’t made stock or have leftovers, don’t worry, you can certainly make these patties as well. In the ingredients I’ve listed the veggies used in the stock that can be simply boiled until tender. (Don’t forget the sundried tomatoes, they add a lot of flavor.) The veggies patties are paired with a fresh arugula salad for an easy summer lunch or dinner, but also would be excellent in a whole wheat pita or flatbread with julienned greens, quartered cherry tomatoes, and a cucumber raita sauce. Enjoy!
Italian Veggie Patties
ITALIAN VEGGIE PATTIES
Makes about 10 patties
2 cups chopped vegetables, either leftover from making stock, or boil chopped carrots, onions, sundried tomatoes, and leeks
1/2 container ricotta cheese (7-1/2 oz.)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup panko bread crumbs + more for coating
1 tsp each basil and oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 beaten egg
1. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from cooked vegetables in a colander. It’s important that as much excess moisture as possible is removed. Chop vegetables and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 cup bread crumbs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add beaten egg and mix in. Use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop and make into round patties, place each on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
3. Coat each refrigerated patty with bread crumbs. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and cook the patties until golden brown on each side. You many need to cook patties in 2 or 3 batches so as not overcrowd skillet. Place browned patties in a baking pan in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, just to heat through.