White Bean Croquettes Stuffed With Mozzarella And Tomato Food

WHITE-BEAN CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Puree the beans, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Stir in 9 tablespoons of bread crumbs and refrigerate several hours, until firm.
• Form the mixture into balls, using a slightly rounded tablespoon for each one. Press one piece of mozzarella and 1 piece of tomato into the center of each and reshape into a ball. Coat with the remaining bread crumbs.
• Working in batches, deep-fry the balls until nicely browned -- it is important to keep the oil about 365 degrees. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

WHITE BEAN CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F.
• Mash the beans, but do not puree, have a few lumps in here, add a bit of bean water if necessary to even out.
• Combine the beans, onion, parsley, egg salt& pepper.
• Add crumbs (I like the crumbs best) or cornmeal by the tbsp until you have a batter that you can handle by hand. Shape into hamburger shaped patties and fry in lightly sprayed oil coated pan, 3-5 minutes each side or until browned on each side. Keep warm in the 200°F oven until all are cooked or you could serve at room temperature.

CHEESE-FILLED RISOTTO CROQUETTES WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the risotto with the Parmesan, cream, herbs, and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the cheese into 16 cubes. Scoop up about 3 Tbsp of the risotto mixture and pack it around a cube of cheese to make a croquette, a ball the size of a Ping-Pong ball. Repeat to form 16 croquettes.
• Put the flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dredge the croquettes in the flour, dip in the egg wash, and roll in the bread crumbs. Chill thoroughly, 2-24 hours.
• Pour oil into a tall pot to a depth of 5 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Deep-fry the croquettes in batches, without crowding, until they are evenly browned, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Serve on a pool of warmed tomato sauce.

MOZZARELLA, TOMATO, & WHITE BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Cut up the cheese and tomatoes if nessary.
• Rinse the beans In cold water very well, carefully drain.
• Place these ingredients in a bowl with some of the basil.
• (save some for garnish) Whip together dressing ingredients.
• add to bowl blend with care not to break up the beans.
• Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
• Line a salad bowl or platter with lettuce leaves add the bean salad on top of it.
• Spot basil around for garnish.
• A nice touch is to add a large 12 cut tomato in center or some colored bell peppers for flare.