Rice Patties with Tahini Sauce

This is classic hippie food.

  

Recipes from The Expanding Light Cookbook: Vegetarian Favorites from California’s Premier Yoga Retreat.

Rice Patties

(adaptations in italic)

(makes 9-10 patties)

Cook 1 cup white or brown basmati rice (rinsed 3 times) I used leftover brown basmati and wild rice mix) 

Rice should be sticky. Set aside.

Sauté until onions are golden:

2 tbsp canola oil

1 cup onions, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and sauté:

1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced

Set aside.

In a bowl, mix:

2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced (I used ½ tbsp dried), 1 tsp dried dill weed, 1 tsp salt (I used Spike seasoning), ¼ cup sunflower seeds, roasted (I toasted mine, not sure if it’s the same thing) 

Add:

Sautéed vegetables and rice to the bowl and mix well. (My mixture was not wet or sticky AT ALL, maybe because I used leftover rice. So I added 1 beaten egg, about ½ cup breadcrumbs and ¼ cup of flour. This made it a sticky mixture.) 

Form into patties and place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. I flipped mine half way through and turned on the broiler for the last 2 minutes.

 (The rice patty before baking) 

 (I had a corner space left on the baking sheet so I added 4 tofu sticks: cover both sides with Bragg Liquid Aminos, spread mild chili sauce on top, and sprinkle with garlic powder—not gourmet, but a quick and easy protein.)  

One of the suggested pairings for the patties was Tahini Sauce. I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while and decided to finally make it.

 Tahini Sauce 

Sautee in a pot until onions are golden:

3 tbsp canola oil

1 small onion, minced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Add:

1/3 cup raw tahini (I don’t think mine was raw)

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 tbsp maple syrup

¼ tsp black pepper

Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add salt to taste. Before serving, add ¼ fresh parsley or dill, minced (I used dried)

This sauce is delicious. I could eat it straight out of the pot, like soup.

Note: You can make the patties and sauce ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator.