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Vegan Pumpkin Seed Almond Croquettes

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As we approach more holidays, family laughs, family drama, and new years’ resolutions (or revolutions!), it’s important more than ever to make time to reflect and to realign ourselves with our true selves … just as the moon, the earth, and the sun were perfectly aligned during last night’s total lunar eclipse. They aligned themselves on the eve of the Winter Solstice–a time of renewal and rebirth–perhaps as a reminder to those who listen to the Universe’s voice, “don’t forget self-care as you take care of others, as we are all interconnected.” While pondering my never-ceasing attempt to find meaning in all aspects of nature :), also consider making these vegan pumpkin seed-almond croquettes! We served them on Thanksgiving Day as an appetizer while we finished up the main meal. They were just the right snack to keep our family and friends satisfied, but not so full that it interfered with them devouring dinner. We served the croquettes with an Asian-inspired dipping sauce of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and a touch of agave.

Vegan Pumpkin Seed Almond Croquettes
–inspired by Avery Yale Kamila’s recipe …

3 cups cooked sweet brown rice
1 cup salted pumpkin seeds
1 cup almonds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 shallot diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos (or soy sauce/Tamari)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ cup water
3 cups carrots, grated
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon dried celery seed
1 teaspoon dried basil

Baste:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Bragg liquid aminos

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add pumpkin seeds and almonds to food processor and pulse a few times. Then add olive oil, garlic, tamari, sesame oil and water. Mix until it has a creamy texture. Mix pumpkin seed/almond mixture in a bowl with brown rice, carrots and seasonings. Mix until well blended. Saute onion and shallot until caramelized, and add to pumpkin seed mixture.

*Lightly grease a baking pan or cookie sheet. Take roughly a 1/8 to 1/4 cup of the mixture into your hands and form a ball. Then roll it into an oblong croquette.

*Whisk the baste ingredients together and brush it over each croquette. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Baste the croquettes after 20 minutes. Makes 20-30.

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. Monet

    What a great reminder to stay true to ourselves…thank you for that! And these croquettes look delicious and very unique. Thank you so much for sharing with me and your kind words on my blog. Happy Holidays!

    December 22, 2010
  2. TiffKey

    Happy Holidays to you too Monet!

    December 23, 2010
  3. veggietestkitchen

    Mmm, I love croquettes. Nice to see a fellow liquid amino user. I am addicted to that stuff. These croquettes look great. How were they?

    Happy holidays!! Cheers.

    December 24, 2010
  4. Amy

    These sound amazing! They are packed so full of goodness, I would love some for dinner :)! Great idea, thanks for sharing!

    December 24, 2010