A few weeks ago I shared my joy and plight over a gargantuan shipment of fresh citrus sent to us from a Floridian relation. I would never complain about freshly harvested, locally-grown fruit arriving at my doorstep in the mid of our dry, parched Colorado winter. In this case however a mistake at the orchard tripled the shipment quantity leaving me flatfooted to conjure some recipes before the fruit went bad. Suffice it to say, I have no worries my family will come down with Scurvy after the loads of Vitamin C we’ve had (come to think of it, we’ve all skirted colds and flu thus far this season too; knock wood).
In addition to the sheer volume, the fruits themselves were somewhat gargantuan in proportion. Honeybell Tangelos, part of our haul, are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine are as large as a newborn infant’s head. And they deliver. One meager fruit produced 1 full cup of juice! You can imagine how filling they are.
Never satisfied with creating something predictable, my first recipe using the citrus is one I’m sharing here: Coconut Tangelo Rice Pudding. This dessert is a creamy, light-flavored, dairy free dessert bearing texture from the plumped golden raisins and the softened raw almonds. With the citrus juice being so naturally sweet I even contemplated omitting any incremental sweetener but knowing citrus fruits vary extremely in sweetness, a bit of sugar seemed appropriate. Light coconut milk is not as sweet (and is lower in calories) than regular coconut milk but still delivers the fresh flavor to marry with the citrus. As much as I enjoyed eating this for dessert, I found myself eating it for breakfast. It’s a perfect healthy treat whenever you feel like it.
Recipe
Creamy Coconut Tangelo Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked long grain Brown Rice
- 2 1/2 cups light (organic)* Coconut Milk
- 1 cup fresh Tangelo juice (approximately 3 regular size tangelos)
- 1/2 cup Golden Raisins
- 1/2 cup raw Almonds , chopped
- 1/4 cup granulated Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Chinese Five Spice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and cook partially covered at a low simmer for 45 minutes; stirring periodically.
- At about 45 minutes most liquid should be absorbed. Cover, remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Stir, and serve dusted with Chinese Five Spice Powder. May be stored in the refrigerator covered/sealed.
Angela Grogan says
This is delicious. The citrus and coconut blend so well into a creamy goodness. The chewiness of the raisins and crunch of the almonds make each spoonful so satisfying. This rice pudding is great on its own, but I think the Chinese Five Spice is a must. It transforms a delicious rice pudding into something sensational. That was a big surprise to me.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
And every year I’m jealous of that citrus shipment. I’ve never made rice pudding with brown rice. I must try this.
Toni Dash says
The brown rice had more flavor and texture making the dish a bit more rustic with more nutrition too!
Happy Valley Chow says
This looks and sounds amazing, can’t wait to try!
Happy Blogging!
Coffee and Crumpets says
I love how it’s made with brown rice. Looks great. I love citrus, but couldn’t live in Florida to save my life! I love Colorado.
Hope you’re enjoying the little bit of snow we’ve had this season.
Nazneen