Fueling Both Body and Soul:

Creamy Potato Soup and More

 

These aren't the creamy Yukon's in the recipe I offer, but I come from a long-line of potato lovers.

Here's my Dad in the 1960's proudly displaying his 'potato crop'.

Politics, domestic violence and foreign affairs have many of us a bit unsettled lately. I look outside more often to cloudy and grey. I’m reminded that when things are stressing, distressing or depressing it’s important to pay attention to what I call The Body’s Agenda. Faithfully using my brain training daily work to reduce stress and lessen the chemicals of negative emotion (you might meditate or otherwise focus the brain). Some people exercise but, couch potato that I tend to be, that’s a tougher one to add. I allow myself to curl up with a mystery or true crime, Ann Rule lately. I go to bed earlier than usual when my body needs too. And, I pay attention to food. When I’m addressing the Body’s Agenda, I need food that is comforting to both mind and body. 

Just the thought of a thick and creamy potato soup with bacon and onion makes my taste buds stand up in anticipation. When those creamy potato chunks melt in my mouth with an oniony, bacony taste…I close my eyes to savor each bite. Making potato soup seemed easy enough but I had to figure out a consistent,  “just right” recipe. I finally nailed it. Our favorite potato soup, which I make in a high sided electric frying pan, comes together fast and easily and is perfect every time.

Haven’t had potato soup in a while? Give this a try, it will fuel your soul as well as your body and the day will seem a little less grey.

CREAMY POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

4 cups Yukon Gold potatoes for creaminess, peeled and cut into 1” pieces (about 6 potatoes)

1 large sweet onion, chopped

5 slices of bacon (I use low sodium bacon)

32 oz. chicken broth (I use low sodium broth)

1 pint Half and Half

Salt (it doesn’t take much) and pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Fry the bacon (I like med. rather that crisp). While bacon cooks, chop the onion. Remove and drain bacon on paper towels.

Fry the onion in the bacon grease on med. low until translucent.

When onion is done, add the potatoes to the pan, stirring into the onions.

Pour the chicken broth into the pan and simmer potatoes and onions until a chunk is easily pierced with a fork. Turn down heat and add the Half and Half, stirring into the chicken broth, potato, onion mixture.

Simmer very slowly for about ten minutes to combine and warm the ingredients.

 

And More…

It truly must be comfort food season. A friend just emailed asking for my ‘recipe’ for a simple comfort food treat that I’ve told her I love. It isn’t the healthiest or the fanciest, but I don’t claim to be a purest. So if you have some Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in your pantry or have fond memories of eating it (whether or not you’ll admit either), you and your taste buds will be comforted by my Mac and Tuna. It makes a ton and freezes well so your soul, if not your body, will be comforted when you’re hungry and tired. Takes about three minutes to nuke a portion.

EASY MAC AND TUNA

 

Ingredients:

4 boxes Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

1 cup milk

2 sticks butter (1 cup)

2 cans tuna, drained

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

 

Instructions:

Boil the macaroni and make up the macaroni and cheese as directed on the box (four boxes require 1 cup butter and 1 cup milk).

Pour the prepared Mac and Cheese into a large bowl and add the tuna and soup. Stir until combined and heat through.

I freeze individual servings in zipping bags.

 

 

Polenta!

It’s Versatile, Delicious and I Love the Texture

by Marilyn Michael

It’s Zucchini Season and I encourage you to make the Tomato Zucchini Dahl I offered earlier. It freezes well so you can put up some of that zucchini in a way that you’ll love to eat. This vegetable dahl is delicious on its own or served over rice but was the inspiration for my Indian Italian Fusion Casserole with its layers of polenta, seasoned dahl and cheese. This dish is so yummy that it will pass with even dedicated meat eaters. Last night, though, I took one out of the freezer and happened to have some Italian sausage on hand. I crumbled 8 oz. of that sausage and fried it adding it on top of last polenta layer then topped with cheese. WOW, an amazing new dimension of flavor. I promise you’ll be asked for the recipe if you take a vegetarian version of this casserole to your next potluck. You will, though, have enough for a couple casseroles, so make one for the freezer. Just leave the cheese off the last layer of polenta and when you re reheat it, add some Italian sausage and then top with cheese.

Versatile Polenta

This brings me to polenta. If you haven’t used it, you don’t need to be intimidated by polenta. For the casserole above, you can buy one of those premade polenta rolls and lay slices down for the polenta layers. When I make it I separate the layers of cooked polenta with plastic wrap before letting them set up. A friend who now makes it lets all the polenta set up then slices it into layers. My same friend hadn’t ever eaten polenta and now loves the texture and versatility. When I make it I have some left over and let it set up in a ½ inch layer then slice it up and fry it in the morning. If you’re fond of Mexican dishes, why not make up taco seasoned meat and layer it with polenta and cheese. You’ll get the same texture as tamale.

Basic Polenta

This is the basic polenta recipe that I use.

Ingredients:

6 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions:

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan.

Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce heat to low and slowly in a stream whisk in the cornmeal to avoid lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.  

Add the butter, and stir until melted.

Rich Breakfast Polenta Casserole

This is a rich and delicious polenta recipe that can be used as a breakfast dish or side dish and can be prepared a day ahead.

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks

8 cups water

2 cups polenta

2 tsp. salt

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon cooking oil or olive oil

3 heaping teaspoons garlic, minced

1 med. sweet onion, chopped

1 - 14o z. can of diced tomatoes

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Sauté chopped onion and garlic in oil until golden. Set aside.

Bring salted water to a boil, turn to medium and slowly add the polenta. Ideally beat it in with a wire whip to remove all lumps. Continue stirring until the mixture completely thickens. Remove the polenta from the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl tempering them by adding some of the hot mixture (so eggs don’t cook) then add egg yolks to the hot polenta along with the butter, onion & garlic mixture, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese making sure to blend evenly.

Pour into large coated baking dish. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.

Reheat at 325 for approx. 10 minutes, or until heated through. Cut into squares or spoon it out.

A BIT OF FOOD STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

by Marilyn Michael

Here's some food stream of consciousness penned while I was munching on some chips and salsa (btw, we love the Safeway Brand Mango Salsa)...

For dinner I made meatloaf topped with some Kinder's Mild BBQ Sauce (our fav) and asparagus topped with butter and dry Parmesan then browned under the broiler. So organized, I also made mini-meatloaves to freeze in my handy dandy mini meatloaf pan that makes six. Never hard to tempt husband with meatloaf. He reminisces about his mother's meatloaves. (That makes me think of something I heard on the morning news, the plural of beef is beeves.)

I so enjoy cooking, it's amazing given my cooking illiteracy most of my life. I recently won two online cooking classes  from the Rouxbe Cooking School. Looking forward to checking them out. The Cooks Roadmap and Plant-based cooking Level 1.

This stream of consciousness on food is making me think of spanakopita. Can't remember how I got started making spanakopita. Need to make some... so yummy for breakfast. Found that wrapping a cutting board in plastic wrap, taping it tight in the back, makes it easy to work with the phyllo dough.

Cleaned out my fridge-top freezer a while back, so far so good in keeping in organized.

• Have some bags of turkey broth for soup, we like it much more than chicken broth and homemade has less salt.
• Have two bags of shrimp. Made garlic shrimp pasta the other night, yum.
• Have some pizza sauce and pizza dough and chunks of Mozzarella. They're the other half of the sauce and dough I made for our Shrimp Portobello Pizza the other night. Never knew till later in life how easy it is to make homemade pizza.Have a bag of hamburger which I mix with sautéed sweet onion before freezing into small baseball sized rounds. Easy for tacos, hamburgers, quick breakfast hash, sloppy joes, etc.
• Have my bag of mini meatloaves.
• Have some chicken thighs; make tasty fried chicken strips that I've gotten good at making with Panko crumbs. We dip them in Bleu Cheese Dressing. Reminds me, I've got to make some Tandoori Chicken Salad, get a craving once in a while.
• Have a bag of small sweet rolls which fit just right in those snack zip bags without zipping, then I put them in a gallon zip bag, keeps them better.
• Have popsicles, husband's big on them these days.
• My veges are from Trader Joe's, a bag of Asian Stir-fry Veges (a quick fix with the chicken), a bag of Soycatash (mixed veges with edamame, love edamame, and a bag of peas. Made Tuna and peas, celery and onion in cream over toast the other night. And love a pea, pecan, water chestnut salad mixed with mayo.
• And finally have a couple large chunks of fish, salmon and cod that a friend who has a cabin in AK gave us.

Well, there you go, just what you needed, an inventory of my freezer, probably did it more for me than you, lol. I think a writing acquaintance, who is an expert on Once A Month Cooking and freezing ahead, would be proud of me. No actual entrees frozen, but pretty prepared for numerous dishes.

Bubble and Squeak – Quintessential Comfort Food

Didn’t make corned beef and cabbage this year - cutting down on sodium. In fact, processed meat of any kind is a rarity these days, gone from having been a much enjoyed lunch staple. Ya gotta have a good pastrami sandwich once in a while! In this corned beef time of the year, I fondly remember some tasty Reubens from our past…sour kraut, Thousand Island dressing…yum. How could we get a similar comfort food experience but a little healthier, I pondered as I stared longingly at the corned beef? The cabbage WAS on sale? Bubble and Squeak came to mind. I had discovered it once while typing into Google some ingredients I had on hand to see what recipes would come up.

With a nod to you Downton Abbey fans, Bubble and Squeak is an English dish, basically a term for how to use up leftovers. Some recipes incorporate other vegetables and some include ham. Good ole green cabbage and Russet potatoes are used. In my version I’ve livened it up by using a fancier onion and bacon to give it a sweet richness.

The dish is fried and the trick is to let the bottom brown while the flavors meld. Depending on the frying pan you use (I used my electric Faberware), you can turn it out onto a plate with the browned side on top. This is quintessential comfort food; its only downside is you’ll want to eat too much. We were able to enjoy a bacony flavor throughout while eating much less salty meat.

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

Ingredients:

1 small head of green cabbage, chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
6 Slices of thick bacon (butcher cut ideal)
4 medium Russet potatoes, boiled
1 generous Tablespoon butter - per serving (I used unsalted)
Salt and Pepper to taste (I use the 50% salt product and it requires less because of the saltiness of the bacon)

Suggestions to serve on the side: Sour Cream and for an International flare, some pico de gallo for a tang.

Directions:

Put water on to boil for the potatoes. Chop the cabbage into 1” chunks. Chop the onion.  Chop the bacon into ¼ chunks. Peel and cut up the potatoes.

Boil the potatoes until fork goes through easily. Remove from the boiling water with a slotted spoon into a bowl and immediately submerge the chopped cabbage in the water, cover letting it steep. When the potatoes cool a bit, rough mash them or crush them with your hand. 

While potatoes boil, fry the bacon strips till medium, not super crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a dish, not on a paper towel. Fry the chopped onion med. low in the bacon grease until soft.  Drain the cabbage, now soft.

Add the potatoes, cabbage and bacon to the onions, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Mix together well with a pancake turner leaving the potatoes rough chopped. When mixed well pat it down until flat, place the lid on the frying pan and continue heating until the bottom browns a bit.

Serve with a Tablespoon of butter melted on top each serving.

Shrimp and Portobello Pizza Splotches

by Marilyn Michael

With Toppings, Before the Cheese

Pizza! Americans love pizza and my husband really loves pizza. As adventurous as we are with food, though, we had never ventured far into the yeast-involved realm of cooking, thus, we had never made homemade pizza. I’m going to tantalize you with our foray into homemade pizza, in fact, it's a gourmet pizza with multidimensional flavors and, it’s simple to make. 

Many “Foodies Over 50” are paying more attention to ingredients in processed foods. We had started looking over all the unhealthier, unpronounceable stuff in the frozen pizza’s we often bought. We had also decided to cut down on processed meats in our diet. This caused a pizza problem. So it was time to step up. Given our foodie proclivities, we decided to take our pizza topping to another level adding a unique dimension of flavor between the sauce and cheese.

We had recently started incorporating Portobello’s more into our food repertoire. One-inch thick strips just sautéed in butter or marinated and then grilled offer a chewy yet creamy texture and a rich taste, a step up from traditional sides or hors d oeuvres. Another, healthier meal lead-in we’ve come to enjoy is sliced avocado topped with fresh shrimp and drizzled with sweet, tangy Catalina dressing or lighter French dressing.

Contemplating our pizza adventure, the ingredients of Portobello and shrimp came to mind. But, inventive cook that my husband is, it was going to be more than just plunking the mushroom and shrimp onto the pizza sauce. Because of my interest in Indian cuisine we keep on hand, as a staple, a Mango Ginger Chutney from Trader Joe’s (it’s available online for those of you not lucky to have a TJ’s in your neighborhood, but other sauces you may have on hand will work, as I will explain). Imagine thick chunks of Portobello and medium shrimp (we keep some frozen) sautéed in butter and brought together with the sweetness of the chutney. It’s hard not to munch down too much of this topping before getting it on the pizza. In fact, this quick and simple topping would be impressive served over rice or, even more exotically, over the Coconut Rice I offered you in an earlier post. 

But, back to pizza.

Having been yeast-challenged, we warily looked over pizza dough recipes. “Hmm”, we pondered, “what had we been afraid of, they seemed pretty similar and awfully simple to put together. Yeah, but maybe there was some trickiness in working the dough or letting it raise or something.” Well, tricky it wasn’t and easy it was. So, if you’ve made homemade pizza, you already have the dough down or buy it frozen. If, like us, you’ve never tried it, start with the easy and, so far, no fail dough recipe we offer. If there are two of you it even freezes well giving you enough for another round of what we call, Pizza Splotches.

When these babies come bubbling out of the oven, they look great and taste even better.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 ½ cups bread flour (I often use strong flour recommended for pizzas, but regular flour works)

1 teaspoon dry yeast

½ -2/3 cup s lukewarm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

Topping:

Butter (we use no salt)

5 or 6.medium fresh shrimp per splotch (I cut each shrimp into three chunks before spooning the sauce onto the dough.)

Two Portobello caps sliced into 1” strips then cut into 1” chunks.

About 3 Tablespoons of a sweet, thick sauce as a binder (We use Mango Ginger Chutney and have used Fig jam; you could use apricot or other fruit preserves you may have on hand.)

Grated Mozzarella

Tomato-based pizza sauce of your choice (As it doesn’t take a lot, we make it easy keeping prepared pizza sauce on hand, our favorite is Classico brand.)

Instructions:

Starting with a large mixing bowl, Sift in the flour. Add the yeast, stirring it in. Pour the water and oil into the center of the flour and mix it into a soft dough. (I happened to have some disposable plastic gloves on hand that made this step slick, no sticky fingers)

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for around ten minutes. This was kind of fun, better than one of those little stress balls, but I digress. You’ll want it smooth and elastic.

Grease a large bowl, I use metal, and place the dough in the bowl covering with plastic wrap. Put it in a warm place for about 1 hour to let it rise. It needs to double in size.

While dough is rising prepare the topping. Slice the Portobello caps into 1” strips then into 1” chunks. Begin sautéing in butter on medium heat until they start diminishing in size. Peel about 12 med. shrimp fresh or frozen. Add shrimp to mushrooms and sauté until bright pink and done. When shrimp have cooked for about a minute add the chutney and mix well. Remove topping onto a plate (I cut up the shrimp into three pieces each at this point) and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425.

Back to your lightly floured surface, with you dough now raised, knead it again for 2 to 3 minutes. There are two of us so, when done, I cut the dough ball in half then cut each smaller dough ball into four pieces. I freeze one quartered dough ball in a quart-sized bag for later use.

Lots of Cheese!

On a lightly greased cookie sheet, spread each quarter into a splotch (no perfect size or shape) each is about the size of a large pizza slice.

Spoon and spread pizza sauce onto each splotch. Spoon on the shrimp and Portobello topping allowing 5 or 6 shrimp per splotch. Top with Mozzarella.

Bake for about 12 minutes until crisp.

The Finished Product

Tandoori Chicken Salad
An Amazing Twist On An Old Favorite
by Marilyn Michael

As I’ve mentioned previously, I was fortunate to make a friend of a woman from Goa India. I met her when I volunteered to teach writing at my father’s senior center in Seattle. It was just one of the many gifts that came my way because of getting involved there. I encourage you to think of getting involved in something in the New Year that allows you to share gifts or knowledge you may have. You’ll receive more than you give.

A gift I received from my Goan friend was the opportunity to learn how to create numerous traditional Indian dishes such as Biryanis, and Pulaos. She set me on a road that has me continuing to enjoy studying, reading about, and being creative with making Indian and Indian-inspired dishes. I’ve loved simplifying them; making them in ways less intimidating to my uninitiated American friends. I’ve also enjoyed taking dishes more traditional to us in America, like chicken salad, and giving them an Indian twist.

There are many variations of spices used in Tandoori masala (spice mixture) marinade recipes common in Indian cuisine. This is a wet masala (when the spices are mixed with wet ingredients). It is a delicious marinade for chicken. You can marinate any chicken pieces and just serve them hot over rice if desired. (Try the Coconut Rice I offered earlier.) The amount is enough for around nine pieces of chicken. Think of gathering what you need as an adventure. Prepare extra packets of the dry spice mixture in snack-sized zipping bags for easy future marinades or gift friends the spices with the recipe.

Ingredients:

Around 9 skinless bone-in chicken thighs (this recipe is for all the chicken, you can freeze half of it after baking and cooling it to make less and have chicken for another batch later, just use fewer scallions).

2 bunches scallions, chopped

Dried cranberries (softened in a bit of water in microwave for 1 min. then rough chop). Add as desired.

Chopped pecans. Add as desired.

Best Foods mayonnaise

 

For Marinade:

12 oz. plain nonfat yogurt (2 - 6 oz cups work)

Juice of 2 limes or lemons (can use equivalent lemon juice)

2 Tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot (I keep a jar of chopped ginger in fridge $1.99 in produce section. Ginger paste would work also).

2 Tablespoon minced garlic (I keep a jar of chopped garlic in fridge available for around $1.99 in produce sections).

2 tsp. coriander powder

2 tsp. cumin powder

2 tsp. garam masala

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne

(The above spices can be purchased inexpensively in bulk at PCC Markets in Seattle or some Whole Foods Markets.)

Instructions:

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. (I cut them in half for soaking up more marinade; you can score them against the grain as well, if desired.)

In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together yogurt, lime/lemon juice, ginger, garlic coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt, paprika and cayenne.

Add chicken making sure marinade covers all the pieces well. Cover bowl and marinate in refrigerator overnight. (I put them into a 1-gallon zipping bag.)

Preheat oven to 375. Remove chicken from marinade and place prepared shallow baking pan. Discard any remaining marinade. Bake in preheated oven until chicken is done. Check after 1/2 hour as you are using boneless and have cut the pieces smaller. (Ideally check with a meat thermometer, they are done at 165 degrees.)

Cool chicken and cut into 1" pieces in to a large bowl. Add scallions, cranberries, pecans. Mix in enough mayonnaise to bind the ingredients, but hold off on adding more to make it creamy because overnight the marinade will blend into the mayonnaise adding moisture. It will taste extra spicy until it mellows overnight. Refrigerate overnight. Add more mayonnaise before serving to create creaminess desired.

I’ve served it with crepes and Romaine leaves on the side for serving as an hors d'oeuvre at a holiday party, I’ve put them in premade pastry cups. You can just offer it plain on top of a garnish of greens for a potluck dish. We love it in sandwiches on Dill Rye bread.

 

Creamy Coconut Rice and Cardamom Pudding

By Marilyn Michael

Was your grandma’s favorite bread pudding the last homemade pudding you’ve enjoyed? Bread and rice puddings were delicious vestiges of an era when food was not wasted as it, too often, is today. Even amidst calorie conscious craziness we must, once in a while, treat ourselves, and those with whom we share our lives, to comfort food treats. If you are going to indulge, this pudding blends comforting memories with exotic flights of fancy. It trades out the traditional vanilla, appearing in most creamy American puddings, for cardamom. “Rice pudding without vanilla!?” you protest. Yes! And it’s a rice pudding with an intriguing delicious flavor that gains in intensity the next day. It’s a pudding that caused my foodie husband to rave and to consider whether he might not prefer it to the beloved puddings of his youth.

I introduced you to cardamom in an earlier post that offered a Pakistani friend’s Chai recipe. Cardamom is aroma therapy for my mentor in Indian cuisine, Mina. It takes her back to her childhood in Goa on the west coast of India where the sweet and soothing aroma mixed with sea breezes and to her later life in Zanzibar, The Spice Island, where cardamom was used in desserts and chais for her children. If you are unfamiliar with cardamom, stop at a market selling bulk spices and discover it.

Along with this pudding I’ll share a way of sectioning it up and storing that can be easily popped into a lunch bag for an easy to eat, yummy midday treat. If taking it to work, you’ll want to pop in another for a friend to enjoy. I’ve found that if I have the right containers for a dish, it encourages me to whip some up.

Creamy Coconut Rice and Cardamom Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (Basmati or Jasmine are excellent)

1 - 16.2 oz. can. coconut water

2 cups milk ( 2% or whole is good)

1 cup unwhipped whip cream (½ & ½ works fine)

1-6 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk or ½ can 14 oz. coconut milk (shake the can before opening; if using the larger can, freeze the other half)

½ cup white sugar

½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder or freshly ground cardamom seeds (We love the cardamom flavor so much that I now use a full teaspoon of cardamom. I keep a coffee grinder on hand for spices.)

1 large egg, whisked

Instructions:

Make coconut rice by cooking 1 cup rice in the can of coconut water. I use a rice cooker and find the bottom of the rice is a bit browned because of the natural sugars in the coconut water, but that just adds a nice toastiness. Scoop out two cups of the cooked rice for the recipe.

Mix together the 2 cups cooked rice and milk in a large sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer whisking continuously. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes until  the mixture begins to thicken.

Whisk in the whip cream, coconut milk, sugar and cardamom. When combined, add the egg whisking while adding. (You can temper the egg with a bit of the mixture but, I’ve found, the added ingredients decrease the heat enough to preclude the need to do that). 

Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking continuously until the mixture just begins to thicken again. This will take about 10 minutes. When thickening begins, remove from heat. Lay plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding and cool in the pan if transferring to smaller containers (as below) or pour into a glass bowl and cool with plastic wrap on the surface.  

Tip for ease of use in school or work lunches (or to create portions lessening the tendency to just keep eating this amazing treat). Spoon into eight 4oz. Ziplock ® brand containers and refrigerate. I keep the containers and lids in a gallon plastic bag so they stay together for future puddings because you will want to make it again.

Creamy Coconut Rice and Cardamom Pudding

By Marilyn Michael

Was your grandma’s favorite bread pudding the last homemade pudding you’ve enjoyed? Bread and rice puddings were delicious vestiges of an era when food was not wasted as it, too often, is today. Even amidst calorie conscious craziness we must, once in a while, treat ourselves, and those with whom we share our lives, to comfort food treats. If you are going to indulge, this pudding blends comforting memories with exotic flights of fancy. It trades out the traditional vanilla, appearing in most creamy American puddings, for cardamom. “Rice pudding without vanilla!?” you protest. Yes! And it’s a rice pudding with an intriguing delicious flavor that gains in intensity the next day. It’s a pudding that caused my foodie husband to rave and to consider whether he might not prefer it to the beloved puddings of his youth.

I introduced you to cardamom in an earlier post that offered a Pakistani friend’s Chai recipe. Cardamom is aroma therapy for my mentor in Indian cuisine, Mina. It takes her back to her childhood in Goa on the west coast of India where the sweet and soothing aroma mixed with sea breezes and to her later life in Zanzibar, The Spice Island, where cardamom was used in desserts and chais for her children. If you are unfamiliar with cardamom, stop at a market selling bulk spices and discover it.

Along with this pudding I’ll share a way of sectioning it up and storing that can be easily popped into a lunch bag for an easy to eat, yummy midday treat. If taking it to work, you’ll want to pop in another for a friend to enjoy. I’ve found that if I have the right containers for a dish, it encourages me to whip some up.

Creamy Coconut Rice and Cardamom Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (Basmati or Jasmine are excellent)

1 - 16.2 oz. can. coconut water

2 cups milk ( 2% or whole is good)

1 cup unwhipped whip cream (½ & ½ works fine)

1-6 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk or ½ can 14 oz. coconut milk (shake the can before opening; if using the larger can, freeze the other half)

½ cup white sugar

½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder or freshly ground cardamom seeds (We love the cardamom flavor so much that I now use a full teaspoon of cardamom. I keep a coffee grinder on hand for spices.)

1 large egg, whisked

Instructions:

Make coconut rice by cooking 1 cup rice in the can of coconut water. I use a rice cooker and find the bottom of the rice is a bit browned because of the natural sugars in the coconut water, but that just adds a nice toastiness. Scoop out two cups of the cooked rice for the recipe.

Mix together the 2 cups cooked rice and milk in a large sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer whisking continuously. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes until  the mixture begins to thicken.

Whisk in the whip cream, coconut milk, sugar and cardamom. When combined, add the egg whisking while adding. (You can temper the egg with a bit of the mixture but, I’ve found, the added ingredients decrease the heat enough to preclude the need to do that). 

Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking continuously until the mixture just begins to thicken again. This will take about 10 minutes. When thickening begins, remove from heat. Lay plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding and cool in the pan if transferring to smaller containers (as below) or pour into a glass bowl and cool with plastic wrap on the surface.  

Tip for ease of use in school or work lunches (or to create portions lessening the tendency to just keep eating this amazing treat). Spoon into eight 4oz. Ziplock ® brand containers and refrigerate. I keep the containers and lids in a gallon plastic bag so they stay together for future puddings because you will want to make it again.