Red Lentil-Rice Cakes with Simple Tomato Salsa

Crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, these salsa-topped cakes make a lovely vegetarian entrée. They offer a great way to use leftover basmati rice; if you're starting with cooked rice, use about 1 1/2 cups. Add mixed greens to the plate for even more color.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 cakes and 1/2 cup salsa)

Ingredients

• Salsa:
• 3  cups  finely chopped plum tomato (about 6 tomatoes)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh basil
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  capers
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 
  Cakes:
• 5  cups  water, divided
• 1  cup  dried small red lentils
• 1/2  cup  uncooked basmati rice
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped red onion
• 1/2  teaspoon  fennel seeds, crushed
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh basil
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. To prepare salsa, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside at room temperature.

2. To prepare cakes, bring 4 cups water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Place lentils in a large bowl.

3. Combine remaining 1 cup water and rice in pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool 10 minutes. Add rice to lentils.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, fennel seeds, and garlic to pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes. Add to rice mixture. Add mozzarella cheese and remaining ingredients, stirring until well combined. Let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Spoon half of rice mixture by 1/3-cupfuls into pan, spreading to form 6 (3-inch) circles; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn cakes over; cook 5 minutes on other side. Remove cakes from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining rice mixture. Serve with salsa.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

279 (28% from fat)

Fat:

8.7g (sat 2.5g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

15.9g

Carbohydrate:

35.8g

Fiber:

6.6g

Cholesterol:

8mg

Iron:

2.8mg

Sodium:

660mg

Calcium:

142mg