Baked Brown Rice Croquettes

INGREDIENTS

Rice balls:
1 1/3 cups brown rice
2 2/3 cups water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs
1 cup finely cubed mozzarella
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, lightly packed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Coating:
2 eggs
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Soak the brown rice overnight in the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the other ingredients for the rice balls. Stir in the cooled rice until all the ingredients are well combined.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with a generous layer of extra virgin olive oil.

To make the coating for the rice balls, whisk together the eggs and olive oil together in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs with the black pepper.

Wet your hands to keep everything from sticking to you. Shape some of the rice mixture into a 2-inch ball, then dip it into the egg and oil mixture and then roll it around in the bread crumbs to cover it evenly. Place it in the prepared baking dish.

When all the rice mixture has been shaped and coated, bake until the bottoms of the balls are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towel and serve hot with a side of salsa or pasta sauce for dipping.

Makes about 18 2-inch croquettes.