Risotto Cakes

I was first introduced to risotto while traveling through Italy and I really enjoyed it. So, many years ago I started making different variations of risotto. The other night we had a favorite of ours...Sausage and Artichoke Heart Risotto. So, of course, there were leftovers. I decided to use the leftovers in the form of a cake, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. We had this for lunch with a mixed salad. (I have a garden full of radishes, onions and salad greens.) Here is this simple recipe for leftover risotto.

Ingredients: serves 2 (remember this is leftover)

1 1/2 c leftover Risotto

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1/4 c All-purpose Flour

1/2 c Seasoned Bread Crumbs

1 lg. Egg, beaten with 1 T water

2 1 inch pieces of cheese (I used Gruyere)

Oil for pan frying

Simple vinaigrette salad dressing:

1 T Fresh Lemon Juice

2 T Olive Oil

pinch of salt

Freshly ground pepper

Dried herbs of your choice to equal 1 t

2 c Mixed Greens (include onions, carrots, celery, radishes, etc...)

Whisk the dressing together and set aside while you make the risotto cakes.

Beat the egg with the water in a bowl large enough to dip the risotto cakes and set aside.

Combine the flour with the Parmesan cheese. Put this in a bowl or on foil.

Measure out the bread crumbs and put in a bowl or on foil.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cover a baking tray with foil.

Begin by forming 2 cakes and insert the hunk of cheese into the center of each, then coat in the flour/Parmesan mixture, then dip in the egg wash and then coat with the bread crumbs. Set aside while you heat the pan with oil.

Brown the risotto cakes on each side and place on the tray. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and plate with a side of salad for a delicious lunch or light dinner.

Enjoy!