When I gave up eating grains, I also gave up eating rice. This isn't because rice contains gluten like grains do, but because rice is a carbohydrate which converts fairly quickly into sugar.
I make a concerted effort not to eat more sugar than my body actually needs.
This is so that my body, along with the multitude of good bacteria (which call my gut their home) can flourish and maintain balance and good working order.
Free of deficiencies.
It reads logically on paper.
However, that doesn't do much to quench the longing that one feels for a favourite food that's been identified as a one way ticket to metabolic disorder.
Creamy rice pudding (complete with) plump, juicy raisins was a favourite food of mine. It was a dessert also favoured by my great-grandparents and it was often served at their homestead. (Although, my great grandmother would make hers with rice, eggs, sugar and cream.) It was a comfort food.
I literally have not eaten it for over a decade.
It wasn't until I was handling some raw carrot pulp the other day, that I had a culinary epiphany.
(Carrot pulp is the dry pulp that's left-over after you juice carrots.)
Armed with 3 cups of carrot pulp, I set out to try my hand at making a creamy, vanilla flavoured, pudding that mimics that taste and texture of rice pudding...but without using rice, cream or refined sugar to sweeten it.
Holy Snap! I Didn't Think I Could Do It Either, Yet Here We Are
To make this, you'll need a food processor.
(Sorry. Even the best blenders get bogged down by the thick density of creamed coconut, cashews and carrot pulp. If you try this in a blender you will over heat the motor and risk burning it out. This is one kitchen task that requires the appropriate tools, sized for the job. )
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of cashews soaked for 4 hours in room temperature water
- 3 cups of carrot pulp
- 2 1/2, (400 ml or 14 fl/0z) cans of the highest fat coconut cream that you can find (preferably over 15% fat)
- 141 grams of pure creamed coconut
- 2/3 cup of maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup of chia seeds
- 1/4 cup of raisins (optional)
- 1/8 cup of finely chopped walnuts (optional for garnish)
- 8 cherries (optional for garnish)
- 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp of cardamon
Directions:
Soak the cashews in enough room temperature water so that all the cashews are evenly covered. Soaking the cashews allows for the removal of phytic acid from the nuts. This makes it easier to digest them and absorb the nutrients contained inside them. When you ingest nuts that aren't soaked you aren't getting all the nutrients that you could be.
These cashews have been soaking for 4 hours. You'll notice a oily film sitting on the surface of the water. Drain the nuts and rinse them well to remove any residual phytic acid.
In the photo below, there is a cashew (on the left) that hasn't been soaked and a cashew (on the right) that has been soaked. Cashews swell in size, once they have been soaked.
Taking the time to soak the cashews is critical to the success of this pudding so I do not recommend skipping that step or you won't be able to achieve a creamy consistency within the pudding.
Add the soaked cashews, the pure creamed coconut and 2 full cans of coconut cream to the blending bowl of a food processor and blend well for 3 minutes. The creamed coconut is a dense solid and it needs a few minutes of blending time to meld with the cream and the cashews.
Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon. Blend well for 30 seconds.
Add the chia seeds and blend again for another 30 seconds.
Add the carrot pulp and blend for 2 minutes to makes sure that all the pulp is evenly blended through the mixture. (You could use the food processor to grate the carrot if you don't have a juicer. You just need to make sure that you squeeze all the excess juice that you can out of the carrots after they are grated or your pudding will be too wet.)
Add the raisins last and just "pulse" them into the mixture. This will ensure that the raisins will blend into the pudding, whole and remain intact as opposed to becoming minced and unrecognizable.
Refrigerate the pudding for an hour. This will let the chia seeds absorb moisture and expand in volume. This will add additional thickness to the mixture.
Place pudding into a serving bowl and top with 2 tbsp of coconut cream and finely chopped walnuts...add a cherry on top.
This recipe will yield 10 servings.
I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow on my journey...who knew you could use carrots to duplicate rice in a dessert? I'm still shocked. ;)
~ Rebecca Ryan
Oh King. Live forever.
oops. Sorry. Oh Queen live forever.
See? It might take some time. But I can finally get it right. Ha
Forgive me. I didn't really take the time to fully understand what you were showing to us. Shame on me.
I know that you only offer the best. So, I had to take another look. I actually took the time to read slowly and absorb all the good and pertinent information that you posted for us.
All I can say is this. You are more precious than precious stones.
If I/we would all just start to take your advise as we should.
Good things would begin to happen to our health and bodies.
Thank you so much for your care and concern for us.
I do know how much time and effort it takes to prepare and offer
an amazing post such as this.
Your post should be reaching at least the $100 dollar value of upvotes.
And now I have finally given your work and post my attention.
Please don''t give up. You are being noticed. Slowly at first.
Then a torrent of support I think.
Francis
Thank you so much for being such a vigilant champion for my work, Francis. I really do appreciate it and the fact that you can see the value that I have to offer. It's been a long road so far, but sooner or later, my fate will change. Until then, I will simply keep trying...just like everyone else. ;)
Wow! I like pudding! Always my mother in law prepare it for me, but yours is another kind, I think more tastier than which I taste before, I see the ingredients is so rich.
Hi @creativewoman! You will do very well with this pudding once you make it for yourself because it has many of your Moroccan spices in it. I started with a gentle version but I know that you'll be able to spice this beautifully. It's the coconut with the cashews that mimic the rich taste of a vanilla pudding and or actual custard. The carrots give it the texture of rice. If you've got some Marrakesh mint to make tea, I think that would be the ideal accompaniment to be severed along with it. ;)
its exclusive recipe as it rice and refind suger free, also you add carrot which is my favorite vegitable. carrot pudding is my best choice, i will show you how it made surely another day, thanks.
Hi @sheikh27! I would absolutely love to see how you make your carrot pudding and learn what spices you use to flavour it. ;)
Thank you for this wonderful recipe Ingredients Ghana Calories Calories Acago ...
For the first time I see that the core of the carrots is used in a recipe that I always throw in a trash can.
Thank you for looking at this recipe
Oh @klasanaj, thank you for reading this recipe. You can make so many great things with carrot pulp...like veggie burgers and meatless balls. Yes, I said it. (meatless balls) LOL!
Looks delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe @rebeccaryan. It made my mouth water!
You are most welcome @ziglox! Thanks for reading and commenting. ;)
Yammy recipe, its looking very testy.
It will be great to eat.
It is a yummy recipe that is very tasty. Thanks for reading and commenting @sumonsha!
Ufff amigo que rico se ve, pondré en practica la receta quiero probarlo, Saludos:)
Espero que pruebes la receta en algún momento. ;)
Lo hare amiga, muchas gracias por compartir la receta con todos:')
I would pay hard cash for that. Scrumptious.
I wish that I could instantly give you some @sansoncarrasco!
que receta tan buena no pienso perdermela Excelente sigue a si :D
Muchas gracias @punchfood!
I'm extremely impressed that you pulled this off flawlessly! Good choice on using coconut, a potent sweetener and full of important nutrients. Looks so tasty!
Thanks @backlau! It really does taste just like rice pudding. I was shocked. Thanks for taking a look and commenting. ;)
Of course :) Im going to follow you to check out your future posts!
health the food, wonderful recipe, nice post, thanks for sharing
Thank you @ritue. You are right. I tried to make a more healthful food.
Nice is brilliant and looks so yummy. I'm also trying to cut out sugar and carbohydrate like rice.
Technically, this recipe isn't very low carb because it still has a fair bit of maple syrup in it. It does contain a lot of protein, good fats and fibre in it, though. These off-set some of the carb load. :)
I'm don't avoid carbs, especially good carbs full of resistant starches. But your carb free desert looks amazing! Great job!
Hi @venomnymous!
I would still consider this recipe carb laden due to the maple syrup and raisins that it contains. It helps that it is loaded with fibre, protein and good fats. Even desserts can be nutritionally dense. ;)
So want to eat pudding it must be very tasty. interesting post @rebeccaryan
I wish that I could give you some instantly to try.
Thanks for commenting @war-tp
its looks very testy
I Want it. Please parcel your recipe.
I'm so hungry now. Ha Ha Ha
Thanks for sharing.
@rebeccaryan,
because rice is a carbohydrate which converts fairly quickly into sugar
I will think twice before I eat it again! Until, today I ate Rice 2-3 times a date :O
That would be a nice recipe and seems a delicious pudding! Probably i can try this in this weekend!
Cheers~
This interesting and unusual recipe. I like the fact that this dessert made with healthy ingredients. If you love sweets, this should be something that is not harmful to the body. I love carrots. It's probably very tasty. Phased wonderful photos. I think I need to try it.
Inventive as ever! This is something I MUST try.
Thanks so much for taking a look at this recipe @kiwideb! I do hope that you get to try it sometime. ;)
we everyday eat rice but have not think about something like this..wow..seems like delicious..but how do you all these recipes? how do you invent them? :)
OH!!!!!!! This is awesome.Healthy food made at home.Thank you for sharing this with us
-cheers-
It's wonderful to see such a delicious looking pudding from simple ingredients.
You really got skill set in what you did ☺️
Great post makes me hungry! looking forward to more post up voted and followed! If you get the chance check my page out i'm new trying to get my blog out there!
Thanks!
Nice
great recipe amazing food thanks for sharing
Thanks for taking a look and commenting @john50.
wow yemmmmmy food. @rebeccaryan
It's really delicious food man.
Seeing the food and not greed.
Gosh this looks really great :)
I would love to try it, nice job!
upvoted ;)
I see this type of dish for the first time
Awesome recipe! I can't wait to try it! Rice pudding was a favourite of mine too, but it has been a really long time since I have had any. I do miss these kinds of treats...