renegade rice pudding

It’s a renegade I tell you…

First, this rice pudding is made with a rice medley containing brown rice, red rice, whole oats and black rice. Making this uber nutritious. Wild and nutritious, heck ya!

Second, there are only SIX ingredients! (1) rice, (2) light coconut milk, (3) low fat milk, (4) brown sugar, (5) one cinnamon stick and (6) vanilla extract. I kidd-you-not friends, this rice pudding looks so “oh la la-ish” but it’s small ingredient list and ease of preparation make this such a pleasing dish to prepare, eat and share! Share with those you adore because this rice pudding is nothing but L-O-V-E.

I found this rice pudding to be so comforting, yet light at the same time because of the light coconut milk and low fat milk. Moreover, I wasn’t left with a rice pudding hang-over (well, just don’t eat more than one or two cups, otherwise you may be subjected to food coma). Mainly because the rice medley is heart-heathy and very energizing!

Nutritional perks –

Brown rice – Excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium. Rich in fiber.
Whole oats – lowers cholesterol levels, stabilizes blood sugar and an excellent source of dietary fiber.
Black rice – good source of iron and dietary fiber. Helps in the prevention of heart attacks.
Cinnamon – an excellent anti-inflammatory and aids in the control of blood sugar levels.

Renegade Rice Pudding
Inspired from this recipe

Print Recipe

– 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice medley
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 1 cup light coconut milk
– 1 cup 1% milk
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/4 cup brown sugar
– raisins for garnish, optional!

Use the directions on the package of rice for 1/2 cup serving and cook in water with the cinnamon stick. Enjoy the aroma. This should take about 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove the cinnamon stick.

The red rice I used turned the water a reddish color. Pretty!

Add the coconut milk, milk, vanilla and brown sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes or until a majority of the liquid is absorbed.

Be careful not to absorb all the liquid. The rice pudding should be creamy and moist, not like a cake.

Serve warm or room temperature and enjoy!

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sweet potato lamingtons (BnSY)

I am particularly excited about this entry! Why you may ask? Because it’s my first submission to the Beet ‘n Squash YOU monthly food fight “wherein the stupendous virtues of vegetables are extolled.” Beet ‘n Squash YOU is co-hosted by the creative gals behind She Simmers and Gourmet Fury. Each month a vegetable is chosen and all participants must submit a recipe using the ingredient. March summoned the fiber-rich, brilliant and tasty, sweet potato.

Can I tell you how much I love sweet potatoes?! I can eat sweet potato is all forms but my favorite ways to consume the sweet potato is baked, sliced open with a sprinkle of cinnamon, oven-roasted with ketchup for dipping and sweet potato pie. In all honesty, my heart flutters for sweet potato. I heart it. . . . alot.

For the Beet ‘n Squash YOU recipe submission I wanted to push the envelope. I wanted a challenge. I wanted chaos. Thus, the Sweet Potato Lamingtons emerged from my kitchen.

Screeeetch! What’s a lamington? A lamington is a small dessert found in Australian and New Zealand cafes and lunch counters. Lamingtons are a two-inch, cube-shaped dessert. A sponge cake, covered in chocolate and rolled in flaked coconut. The lemon sponge cake variety are popular in Aussie, whereas the New Zealanders prefer the strawberry sponge cake variety.

My Sweet Potato Lamington is where the American South meets the South Pacific! Even though this is a dessert, there are nutritional perks involved, such as the addition of sweet potato and the use of agave nectar rather than refined sugar, which was used in the original recipe. I also used whole wheat flour for additional fiber.

sweet potato lamingtons

Nutritional perks –

Sweet potato – rich in complex carbohydrates and beta carotene. low in cholesterol. good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6 and potassium. a very good source of Vitamin A.
Agave nectar – a natural sweetener. contains a low glycemic index, which provides sweetness without the unpleasant “sugar rush.”
Whole wheat flour – good source of dietary fiber. a very good source of manganese and selenium.

Making the Sweet Potato Lamingtons
What you will need: sweet potato cake, semi-sweet chocolate for melting, grated coconut (sweetened)

Sweet Potato Cake adapted from cooks.com
– 1 1/2 cup oil. I used canola oil for it’s low flavor profile.
– 2 cups agave nectar. The original recipe suggested regular white sugar
– 4 eggs separated
– 1/4 cup water
– 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
– 3 tsp. baking powder
– 1/4 tsp sea salt
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1 tsp ground nutmeg
– 1 1/2 cup grated raw sweet potato
– 1 tsp vanilla

The original recipe added nuts, but I decided to omit them for the sake of having just a simple sponge cake for the lamingtons.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a sheet cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat the oil with agave nectar. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

grated raw sweet potato

Stir in remaining ingredients in the order listed above. Mix until well blended. Pour into the sheet cake pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

stir stir stir

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 2 hours. Move the cake to the refrigerator so that slicing the cubes is easier and less crumbly.

When the cake is completely cooled in the refrigerator, remove it from the pan and place on a cutting board or sheet pan so that slicing the cubes can commence!

Since the cubes must be flat on all sides you will need to slice off the rounded top of the cake. It’s simple! Run a long knife right along the underside of the rounded top so that the cake now has a flat top and you can see inside of the cake. Admire how orange it is! Ahh, sweet potato!

Slice two-inch cubes. You can eyeball it. There are no lamington police around.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a double-boiler or microwave. Which ever is most convenient.

assembling these beauties

Coat five sides of the cake sponge in the melted semi-sweet chocolate, leaving the bottom of it chocolate-free. Roll the shiny and delectable chocolate-covered cake in the grated coconut. Place it on a wire rack to hang-out!

enjoy these two bite gems over and over!

When the lamingtons are complete being bedazzled in chocolate and coconut, let them set and either enjoy the two-bite gem or store in an airtight container.

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tastefully married

There was a marriage in my kitchen.

No no, I didn’t get hitched in front of the kitchen sink! It was a marriage of flavor, texture and color. Beautiful…the marriage produced a wholesome and very undry muffin. I use the word “undry” because the word “moist” weirds me out a bit. No joke, this muffin is GOOD for you! You can eat one or two of these for breakfast or have one for that 4 o’clock slump and feel no remorse. Cross my heart…

The groom: cooked oatmeal

The bride: a gorgeous granny smith apple

In attendance: pumpkin, coconut, cinnamon and brown sugar

You’re probably thinking “wtf, what does that muffin even taste like? coconut, pumpkin, apple??” Trust me friends, this muffin doesn’t taste too apple-y, pumpkin-y or coconut-y. It taste like a fruity and wholesome muffin!

If you follow this recipe you’ll really appreciate the colors and textures. There are small chucks on green apple and the muffins arise from the oven with a slight orange glow because of the pumpkin. When you bite into it, you’ll see small flecks of coconut reaching out. OMG!

Nutritional perks –
Oatmeal – lowers cholesterol, source of fiber, helps prevent heart disease and stabilizes blood sugar
Granny Smith apple – protection against asthma and one apple is about 15% of a daily value of fiber
Pumpkin – low in saturated fat and cholesterol, good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin B6, great source of Vitamin A and C

A great thing about this muffin is the flexibility of ingredients. You can swap out coconut for a tree nut or chocolate chips, omit pumpkin and add smashed banana or peanut butter, add fresh blueberries or dried cranberries, or add nutmeg and cloves for a warmer flavor. The original recipe included a half cup of sultanas and 1/4 cup dried papaya, both of which I didn’t include in my version.

Time to get down to business! Right?!

O(at)MG! Muffin adapted from Sunday Hotpants’ Morning Oatmeal Muffins
Makes about 18 muffins

– 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted – original recipe suggested 1/2 cup butter but the added pumpkin in this recipe adds additional moisture so I halved the butter
– 1/4 cup canned pumpkin – original recipe didn’t include canned pumpkin
– 1 medium Granny Smith apple, grated in a food processor
– 2 eggs
– 1 cup cooked oatmeal
– 1/2 cup coconut – I didn’t toast the coconut, but next time I make these I definitely will because I think the toasted coconut would be stellar!
– 1 tsp vanilla
– 1 cup white whole wheat flour – the original recipe used white all purpose flour
– 2/3 cup brown sugar
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 1 tsp cinnamon

For additional topping –
cinnamon and sugar mixed. You can decide on the ratio based on your taste preference.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or use a non-stick cooking spray on a 12 muffin cupcake pan or just input cupcakes sleeves.

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, grated apple, coconut, eggs, cooked oatmeal and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until well combined!
Sift the flour, baking power, baking soda, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir into wet ingredients. Do not stir too much because the muffins will come out of the oven tough. Having lumps in the batter is A-OK!

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the muffins. OR you can brush the muffins with melted butter when they’re warm out of the oven and roll the tops in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. There is really no wrong way of doing this.

Bake the muffins for 20 mins. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

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