Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding
When you think of rice, you normally think of stir fry for lunch or dinner, but a fabulous way to start the day is a warm bowl of brown rice pudding topped with fresh fruit, nuts and almond milk. This is a powerhouse start that will set you and your family up to take on the fast pace of your day.
The boys and I love rice, especially brown rice. It is one of the best grains for your digestive system because it retains all the fiber of the whole grain. When rice is stripped of its bran layer, which removes the fiber and most of the nutrition, you end up with white rice. As brown rice only has the outer hull removed, it retains most of the nutrients such as vitamin B6, magnesium, niacin, manganese, selenium, phosphorus and vitamin E. Half a cup of cooked brown rice has around 108 calories, 2.5 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbohydrates and 1.8 grams of dietary fiber. It’s low in fat and contains almost no sodium. Most of the fiber is insoluble, which means that it can protect against various types of cancers such as colon, breast and prostate. It also may help to lower cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease.
I hope you change up your morning routine by giving this dish a try. Enjoy!
Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding
Serves 4
*3 cups cooked brown rice (see below)
2 cups almond milk (as I don’t drink dairy, but you choose your own milk to use with this recipe)
¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon (optional)
1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves (optional)
½ cup of Medjool dates, stones removed and roughly chopped
¼ cup of raisins
¼ cup of pecan nuts, crushed
2 cups of your favorite mixed fruit (such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, apple, pear, mango)
How To Make:
Take a medium size saucepan and add the rice, almond milk, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, dates, and raisins, cook over a medium heat until the mixture thickens, around 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and spoon into four breakfast cereal bowls, top with a sprinkle of nuts and fruit.
* Take 1 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of filtered water, place into a saucepan, bring to boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed. Yield 2 ½ to 3 cups.
Almond milk
Makes 3 cups
3 cups filtered water
1 ½ cups raw almonds
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
How To Make:
Place into vitamix and blend until smooth, strain through muslin into a container, place on lid and store in the fridge until needed – Discard after five days if not used.
NOTE: I don’t strain my almond milk as I like it thick and creamy, plus it retains all the nutrition from the nuts.