Green Rice Timbales (Gluten Free)

Lots of cookbooks of my mother’s era had recipes for “Timbales.”  I had never tried them or ate them so when I saw this recipe in the "Southern Living Christmas Cookbook"   I had to make some.  We thought they were delicious and we’ll have them again.  You don’t really have to unmold them unless you want to.  I bought Danish Fontina, which is similar to Gruyere, for this recipe…I think Swiss would be good too.

I didn’t have any baby carrots so I used my Börner waffle slicer for a carrot garnish.  I absolutely love that thing…it’s impossibly easy to make waffle weave or ripple cut veggies with it.  

For company, picture a platter of these timbales neatly lined up.                     

                           Green Rice Timbales

  1 ½     cups  cooked Rice

  6         ounces  Fontina Cheese -- shredded

  1 ½     cups  Half and Half

  2         Large  Eggs

     ¾     teaspoon  Salt

     ½     teaspoon  Pepper -- freshly ground

  1         tablespoon  Butter

     ¼     cup  Green Onion -- minced

  2         teaspoons  Garlic -- mashed

  5         ounces  Fresh Spinach -- coarsely chopped

     ¼      cup  Fresh Parsley -- chopped

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Melt butter in large skillet; add green onions and garlic, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.  Add spinach; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minutes or just until wilted.  Stir in parsley and add to rice mixture.  Spoon into lightly greased 10 ounce custard cups and place in 13 x 9" pan.  Add hot water to the depth of 1 inch.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until set.  Remove from water; cool on wire racks 5 minutes.  Loosen edges with a knife; unmold on a serving platter.  Garnish if desired.

Blanch baby carrots 2-3 minutes in boiling water.  Cut 4 slits lengthwise into each carrot, without cutting all the way through the end, and spread into fans on top of timbales.

6 Servings