Recipe: Spiced Rice Pudding

So for those raisin haters out there: before you get freaked out by the raisins in the photos, trust me that they are OPTIONAL and I'm going to tell you how to make this without 'em (or suggest something else to add!)

Have I said before that I don't like breakfast? (I believe so!) This has two parts. One is that I don't like to eat very early because then I swear I feel ravenous ALL DAY LONG. If I can hold off until mid-morning I'm good. Part two is that I hate oatmeal. I know that it isn't the only breakfast food but it is the ONLY breakfast food that the Mr. and Babe eat every morning. It's really cute. Our daughter loves to help make the oatmeal. She adds little baby finger pinches of salt, helps measure and So I love that part. The oats part? Nope. Can't get me to do it. 

Now call me crazy but THIS is totally different. I could eat this for my (mid-morning) breakfast. 

Or dessert. It's a dessert for most people, right? Oh in that case I could eat many different desserts for breakfast. Hah. Okay fine. Breakfast, snack, dessert, or whatever - it's something that I'll eat anytime. 

If you haven't started using FRESH nutmeg let me try to convince you now. It tastes totally different from pre-ground stuff. It's super fragrant and delicate all at once. Seriously, anyone that tries is sticks with it. You can buy whole nutmegs at places with bulk spices (at my local place I can get 3 for about 10 cents.) You will also need a microplane grater (the one in the link is the one I have.) It's awesome for nutmeg but you also use it for ginger, garlic, and zesting citrus. You could probably use it for a lot of other things I haven't even thought of yet.  So please, get a microplane and some fresh whole nutmeg. You will thank me. 

Spiced Rice Pudding 

makes about 8 (1/2 cup) servings

2 cups cooked rice (this is a perfect way to use leftovers! White or brown rice is fine!) 

2 1/2 cups soy milk or other non-dairy milk

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup raisins (or other dried fruit, optional*)  

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional, but if you have some try it out!) 

• Mix everything together in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. 
• Make sure to stir it frequently while bringing to a boil so that it does not stick to the pot. 
• Once boiling, lower heat to low and keep at a slow simmer. 
• Simmer for 20 minutes or until soy milk is absorbed and you have a thick creamy pudding. Stir every now and then while simmering. 
• Serve with some extra grated nutmeg on top if you wanna get fancy with it. 
• Enjoy!

*Raisin-less option: If you want to leave dried fruit out altogether you can cut the soy milk down to 2 1/4 cups. Leave everything else the way it is and cook the same. 

You can also try some other dried fruit like chopped apricots, currants, dried cranberries, chopped dates or even dried blueberries. 

Nutritional information per serving : (calculated with raisins) Serving size: 1/2 cup
4 WWPointsPlus, 138 calories, 1.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 27.7g carbohydrates, .7g fiber, 11.4g sugar, 3.8g protein