Cups & Curiosity

Italian Rice Balls was one of my favorite side dishes my mom
would make growing up. Many recipes call for all of these
different ingredients packed inside the rice balls, but my mom always made them with just cheese and
spinach inside. Although they were so simple, they had so much flavor and were absolutely delicious!

I decided to put a healthy spin on it by using Riced Cauliflower and my handy dandy Air Fryer to have that crispy goodness for about 50 less grams of carbs. Let me tell you, these things were DAAAAMN good!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked Riced Cauliflower (Fresh or Frozen)
• 1 cup of cooked spinach (Fresh or Frozen)
• 1/3 of a Large White Onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped Parsley
• 1 tbsp. Almond Flour (or any flour of your choice)
• 1 cup shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 tbsp Almond Flour
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• Tomato Sauce and Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving

Instructions

1. If using fresh produce, rice the cauliflower florets in the food processor. Put in a microwave safe bowl and steam in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Chop up the spinach and steam in microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. If using frozen produce, follow the instructions on the packages. Let the cooked produce cool for 10-15 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cloth napkin, wring out the excess moisture in both the riced cauliflower and spinach and then place in a large bowl.
   
2. Preheat Air Fryer at 380 degrees F for 5 minutes. Add the onion, parsley, garlic, cheese, almond flour, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the spinach and cauliflower. Mix until completely combined.
   
3. Take about 3 tbsp of the mixture and press and mold into a ball. Repeat until all of the mixture is used. Will make about 12-13 rice balls.
   
4. In a separate plate, mix together remaining almond flour, panko bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning. Gently roll rice ball into the egg and then roll in the bread crumb mixture until fully coated. Repeat for the rest of the rice balls. Cook in the preheated
   Air Fryer at 380 degrees F for 11 minutes. Do not crowd the Air Fryer basket! Serve with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.