Rice 'Bread' Buns

For true food enthusiasts, it is always difficult finding "healthy" recipes that fit our standards for flavor, texture, and just utter yumminess. I'm always looking for healthier ways to have the same foods I love, but not compromise the flavor. Every once in a while, I come across something that is not only healthy, but really changes a recipe for the better.

I'm going to show you how to make rice buns as a substitute for bread buns. I know a lot of you sandwich enthusiasts are cringing as we speak, but give this a try. It's amazing how much a little salt and a touch of olive oil adds to the flavor of the rice buns. Along with the crunch, it's almost like having chips as your bread - delicious. I wanted to differentiate this recipe from just rice cakes. Rice cakes are puffed and dry due to the nature of how they're made. This recipe still has the chewiness and moisture from the rice, but is nicely crisp from frying it in olive oil. Because the rice patties are crisped on both sides, it also is better for sauces because it won't soak in and make the rice buns soggy. This recipe can definitely be done with brown rice as well, just remember to really compress the rice down because it has a tendency to break apart when frying when it is not properly packed down.

(Tip for cooking. Make sure to really pack down the rice into the molds. Do not disturb the patties while they brown because this will make them stick. Once it has been browning for about 4-5 minutes, either shake pan or use a spatula to loosen.)

Cooled White Rice

Oiled Muffin Cups

Ramekins and Plastic Wrap to Compress Rice

Oiled Pan on Medium Heat

4 Minutes per Side

Pair with Your Favorite Sandwich Ingredients

Ingredients

(Makes 2 sets of rice buns) - 4-5 Tablespoons Olive Oil - 2-3 Cups Cooked Rice - Pinch of Salt

Directions 1. Generously oil muffin tins with olive oil. Divide up 2 cups cooled rice into 4 muffin tins. Use spoon to compress rice. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the rice and press down hard with ramekins. 2. Heat several tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Un-mold the rice buns and fry each side for about 4 minutes. Salt as needed. Do not disturb the rice during browning as this will make it stick. After 4 minutes, shake the pan to get buns to loosen. A spatula can also be used to loosen the patty. 3. Put buns on a plate to dry and cool. Use with sandwich meats and sauces as desired.