Meatballs without minced meat

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 150 g rice
• 2 balls of mozzarella
• 1 large carrot(s)
• 1 small zucchini
• 300 g bacon cubes, lean
• 2 eggs
• e.g. breadcrumbs
• 1 pinch(s) of salt and pepper
• 1 liter vegetable broth

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Bring the broth to a boil, add the rice, and cook for 15 minutes. It should still be slightly “al dente.” Drain the rice and let it cool. You can, of course, use leftover rice from the day before. Just don’t skimp on the salt later. The rice should be nice and flavorful. Chop the mozzarella into small pieces. Trim the carrots and zucchini and grate them finely or coarsely, depending on your taste. Mix together the rice, cheese, carrots, zucchini, bacon cubes, and eggs. Stir in pepper and salt. Stir in enough breadcrumbs until the mixture has a consistency. Let it swell for about 15 minutes. Check whether the mixture can be formed into a meatball under pressure in your hands. If so, lightly roll in breadcrumbs. If not, add a little more breadcrumbs and then roll the meatballs in the breadcrumbs. Carefully fry in oil over low heat until golden brown on both sides. After frying, drain the fat on kitchen paper. Delicious as a main course, but also as a side dish.