Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding

Chef Mark Allison shares a recipe for National Hot Breakfast Month

When you think of rice, you normally think of lunch or dinner using white rice as a main ingredient with meat or fish in a stir fry. But a fabulous idea to start the day could be a warm bowl of brown rice pudding for breakfast – yes breakfast! Topped with fresh fruit and nuts served with almond milk, you have a truly wonderful nutrient-packed start that will fuel you all the way to lunch. With these dark cold mornings, this will warm you inside and out with a glow of health and vitality that will set you and your family up to take on the fast pace of your day!

We absolutely love rice! One of the best grains for your digestive system is brown rice as it retains all the fiber of the whole grain. Over 550 million tons of rice are produced annually around the world (Asia is the biggest producer but the USA is quickly catching up!) White rice is stripped of its bran layer which removes the fiber and most of the nutrition. 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. A half cup of cooked brown rice has around 109 calories, 2.3 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbohydrates and 1.8 grams of dietary fiber, its low in fat and contains almost no sodium.

Brown rice breakfast pudding - Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked brown rice (see instructions 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)
• ⅛ 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)

Directions:

1. In a medium size saucepan, combine the rice, almond milk, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, dates and raisins.
2. Cook over a medium heat until the mixture thickens, around 10-12 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and spoon into four breakfast cereal bowls.  Top with a sprinkle of nuts and fruit. 

To prepare brown rice: Combine 1 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of filtered water in a saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Yields 2½ to 3 cups.

Almond milk - Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups filtered water
• 1 ½ cups raw almonds
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence 

Directions: Place into food processor 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.

Published February 1, 2018