I frantically began searching my mostly empty pantry. I knew I was going to have to put something together, but didn't want just anything. I also don't like to eat empty calories. If I'm going to eat something, I want it to have some benefit to my body. Your body is not a trash can, so don't treat it like one.
I remember my grandmother making rice pudding for my grandfather. I remember how he would warm it up slightly and top it with milk and raisins. I wanted to make that. I wanted something simple, comforting and cozy.
Vegan brown rice pudding
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| In this recipe I used: 1 can full fat coconut milk, around 1 tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla and a few dashes of cinnamon. |
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| I added all of those ingredients to roughly 2 cups of cooked brown rice. I make brown rice in large batches in my rice cooker. I keep it around, already made, for easy breakfast dishes and quick stir-frying. |
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| Good coconut milk will separate, due to its high fat content. Make sure when adding it to the rice to break any chunks up and ensure it is incorporated into the rice. (Also add your sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. These you could add more or less of any of those ingredients, depending on what flavor and level of sweetness you are looking achieve). |
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat- or until it is simmering. Your goal is to cook out some of the water in the mixture so that it will thicken, creating a pudding like texture. Get comfortable and prepare to stand by your range for at least 30 minutes. You need to be stirring it consistently so that it does not burn to the bottom of the pan. *If you have ever made steel cut oats or oat groats, the process is almost identical*
- The pudding will slowly come together and have a more 'rice pudding' like texture. You can make it as thin or as thick as you like- by controlling how much liquid you cook out of the pudding.
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| The finished product. It might not look like much, but it was DELICIOUS. It was low in sugar, and had fiber and protein because of the brown rice. While full fat coconut milk is dairy-free and tasty, I don't recommend eating large portions of it. It's great as a treat, but it has a high saturated fat content and certainly packs a punch with calories. |
This pudding also would have been fantastic if a vanilla bean had been used in the cooking process or even topping it with nuts.
....in other news.
My coffee came in. I use a coffee subscription service called Tonx. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I am very particular about food (shocking, I know) and even more particular with coffee. I hate stale coffee, I hate over roasted coffee *ahem starbucks*, I hate not knowing where my coffee is sourced from.
I love the coffee from Mountain Roasters ( in Buckhannon, W.Va.) but its not always easy to get my hands on.
In a caffeine deprived state, I also don't like to concern myself when I'm running out of those chocolaty little beans of happiness.
Enter: Tonx
Tonx allows me to get FRESH coffee sent to me twice a month. I get something new and fresh every 2 weeks. They source, roast and ship the coffee. It is packaged and mailed out so that the beans reach you at their peak flavor (24-72 hours after roasting). I also love that I get a little background on where the beans came from, why they matter, who they are supporting. Its kind of like getting a surprise gift from myself twice a month in the mail.
I know it all seems like a shameless product promotion, but its not, I really do love this stuff. I REALLY love not worrying about running out of good coffee.
Tonx is a great company and are easy to get a hold of. I e-mail them frequently with coffee questions and they always get back to me promptly. Their customer service is top notch.
They offer a trail of 2 free ounces of coffee, and will mail it to you. Yes, you put in your credit card info. Yes, you CAN cancel it if you don't like it (but chances are you will love it and wonder what kind of strange garbage you have been brewing up in your coffee maker lately). No hassle, promise.
If you are like me and really like coffee, or you just want some free coffee...give them a try. After trying Tonx and realizing that you have been drinking crappy coffee most of your life, you might also start to question what other poor life decisions you have made. I can't help you with that.
Give them a try, because if I like it...you know it has to be good
https://tonx.org/430bc169
I like mine with my SoDelicious Dairy free Coconut Creamer.
Thanks for reading this weeks blog, fellow food lovers.
Please eat good food this week,
-Caitlin
