Rice Pudding and Cinnamon Cauliflower Soup

Im still having fun with my new-found agave nectar. And with left over cooked brown rice in the fridge I thought to delve once again into the world of rice for breakfast.



Vanilla Rice Pudding with Cinnamon

1/3 c. hazelnut milk
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 apple, skin removed and finely chopped or grated
1 tbsp. canned pumpkin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tbsp. vanilla flavoured agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup brown rice

1/2 tbsp. coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 tbsp. vanilla flavoured agave nectar

In a small bowl whisk together the first set of ingredients. Heat a pot over high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Once the mixture is boiling, turn heat to just under medium and stir often until the mixture starts to thicken.
Add rice, stir to combine, turn heat down a bit more (medium low) and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile toast hazelnuts under the broiler until golden. (Make sure to check constantly, they burn fast.)
Transfer to a bown and top with nuts and last 1/2 tbsp. agave.

**265 calorie

I made mine this morning with 1/2 a teaspoon cinnamon and it was WAY too much. I also used almonds, forgetting I just bought hazelnuts yesterday at Lyn-Dys, an organic health food store in London Ontario.


I mentioned yesterday that I had work done on my teeth at the dentist. Well, the novacaine wore off... and now Im left with BOTH sides of my mouth in pain. Even more so if I chew anything at all. I made it through the rice and nuts for breakfast but by dinner, I knew I couldnt do it again so I made soup from scratch for the first time.

I drew my inspiration from baked apples that were currently in the oven. Opting for a cauliflower/ tofu type soup creation. It turned out more like a puree then an actual soup, but I think its better that way.



Cinnamon Cauliflower Soup

1 cup cauliflower, microwaved for 2 minutes
a bit less than 1/2 a small cooking onion

1/4 cup soft tofu
1 tbsp apple sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/4 tsp. yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

extra vegetable broth
extra cinnamon or nutmeg

Heat a small pot over medium high and add onions with some olive oil spray and sautee until almost translucent.
Add the microwaved cauliflower and cook for about 4-5 minutes until it starts to brown.
Meanwhile place second set of ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth, then add this mixture to the pot.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes and transfer to the blender again with the seasonings (mustard through salt and pepper).
Blend, holding the top firmly, until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. The measurements are my recommendations only.
Add more vegetable broth until soup is the desired consistency, transfer to a bowl, and top with cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

**125 calories

Its supposed to be served heated, but I had some cold too and it was still amazing!

My first taste of Rice Pudding

Breakfast again! By far the best meal of the day. Unless you decide to have breakfast for dinner too, then its an even tie.

Ive been perusing recipe sites and blogs lately and again and again I was stumbling across recipes for rice pudding. Hmm... rice pudding? Sounded interesting. Saved it on my KartMe.com account and moved on. But I kept coming back to it. And then I stumbled upon this recipe from Manifest Vegan. I was sold and decided to whip up a rice pudding recipe of my own.


(^in the making^)

The final product was perfection. I decided to combine it with my love for pumpkin pie. Exactly what a chilly fall morning deserves.



Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding

1/3 cup hazelnut milk
2 tbsp canned pumpkin
2 tbsp sugar free Cracker Barrel maple syrup
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more)
pinch of salt

2/3 cup brown rice, cooked

2 tsp raisins
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp sugar free CB maple syrup

In a small bowl whisk together the first set of ingredients. Heat a pot over high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Once the mixture is boiling, turn heat to just under medium and stir often until the mixture starts to thicken.
Add rice, stir to combine, turn heat down a bit more (medium low) and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile toast almonds under the broiler until golden. (Make sure to check constantly, they burn fast.)
Stir raisins into the rice and transfer to a bowl. Top with toasted almonds and syrup.

(250 calories)

Now originally, I wanted to make the milk mixture with about 1 1/2 tbsp. silken tofu as well for extra protein/ creaminess but I was banned from the blender due to a few people still asleep. If you want to try it with the tofu, just blend the milk mixture with the tofu in a blender instead of whisking it together. (Add about 10 calories to the total amount.)