It’s been raining nonstop here in Austin, Texas. The humidity has been off the chain and my hair is very unhappy. However, it’s been great for the greenery and all the lakes. I’m hoping it means this summer won’t be quite as scorching as usual. But that’s probably just a pipe dream…
On the plus side, broccolini popped in my brain the other day and I ran with it. Broccolini is one of those veggies that people tend to forget about, but it’s full of vitamins and nutrients, easy to prepare, and very yummy. I decided to create a recipe using this cruciferous vegetable and I came up with the idea of making cheesy brown rice patties and broccolini. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had a feeling it would, and the end result was better than I expected.
It helps that anything with cheese in it is guaranteed to be good, especially vegan cheese 🙂
First off, let’s talk about broccolini and why it’s sooooo good for you! Broccolini is like the supermodel version of broccoli. It has small florets, sometimes accompanied with tiny yellow flowers, and slender stalks. Because it’s so slim, it’s much easier to cook than regular broccoli. Like all cruciferous veggies, broccolini contains fiber, that magical substance that keeps your body moving and shaking. It also contains calcium, folate, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, & K. Plus it’s free of fat and cholesterol, and contains very low sodium.
If that’s not enough reason to eat these Cheesy Broccolini & Brown Rice Patties, here’s some more incentive: vegan, gluten free, healthy, and cheese.
The first step actually begins the night before, or morning of, depending on when you want to make the patties. Most grains and legumes need to be soaked for several hours before cooking in order to release the outer layer of acids and allow greater absorption of nutrients. Although brown rice doesn’t contain as many of these acids, I still soak it whenever I can because it makes the cooking process easier. I use short grain rice because I think it has the best flavor. Place 1 cup of 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 the soaked rice. Add to 2 cups of boiling water and cook for 40-45 minutes on medium low heat, covered, stirring occasionally. When it’s soft, put the rice in a mixing bowl. Add 3/8 cup (1/4 c + 1/8 c for us mathematically challenged folks) nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup almond meal, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and salt & 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 6 stalks of 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 the mixture into patties that are about 2 inches wide and 1/2 an inch thick. Heat a thin layer of extra virgin 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 easier they will fall apart on you.
When they are ready, plate them and sprinkle Daiya cheese shreds or melt it over the top. Makes 6-7 patties. I feel like these would also serve well with a brown mustard. I have a sixth sense about these things.
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- 2 cups of water
- 2/3 cup of nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
- 6 stalks of broccolini
- Daiya cheese shreds or another vegan cheese
- Place 1 cup of 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 the soaked rice. Add to 2 cups of boiling water and cook for 40-45 minutes on medium low heat, covered, stirring occasionally. When it's soft, put the rice in a mixing bowl. Add 3/8 cup (1/4 c + 1/8 c for us mathematically challenged folks) nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup almond meal, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and salt & 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 6 stalks of 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 the mixture into patties that are about 2 inches wide and 1/2 an 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 easier they will fall apart on you.
- When they are ready, plate them and sprinkle Daiya cheese shreds or melt it over the top. Makes 6-7 patties. I feel like these would also serve well with a brown mustard. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.
If you end up having any leftover patties, store in a sealed container in the fridge. These patties won’t disappoint, and I like them because there’s room for creativity. You could add sauteed garlic, onions, or other veggies to the mixture. Heck, chopped up olives might even be tasty with it.
They are super filling as well, but they would pair great with a salad or light side dish.
Make it your own. And enjoy. Annnnd, if you have a ton of leftover broccolini like I did, I’ll be posting another recipe on Friday that you can use it in!
Jillian ♥
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