Cheesy Broccolini & Brown Rice Patties

Place brown rice in a container, fill with water, and close with a lid. Soak in fridge overnight, especially if you want to make these for lunch, or you can start soaking them the morning of if you aren’t making them until dinner.

Drain and rinse soaked rice. Add to 2 cups of boiling water and cook for 40–45 minutes on medium low heat, covered, stirring occasionally. When soft, put rice in a mixing bowl. Add nutritional yeast, almond meal, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. If you don’t have almond meal, don’t worry. I added it for a little texture boost, but it doesn’t really alter the taste of the recipe.

Rinse broccolini and cut a couple inches off the end. Steam on low heat for 2–5 minutes or until fork-tender and bright green. They cook quickly, so keep an eye on them! Drain and let them cool for a couple of minutes, then cut into small pieces and stir into the rice mixture.

Using your hands, form mixture into patties about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan and cook the patties on medium-low heat, about 5 minutes for each side, so they have a nice golden brown color. Be gentle with the patties because they are delicate. The larger you make them, the more likely they will fall apart on you.

When they are ready, plate them and sprinkle cheese shreds or melt it over the top. I feel like these would also be good served with brown mustard.

Makes 6 to 7 patties. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.