Coconut Brown Rice Pudding

Ingredients

* ½ cup Brown rice (preferably short grain)
* ½ cup Unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
* 1 can Light coconut milk
* 1 cup Rice milk (preferably unsweetened)
* ¼ cup Honey (locally made is best)
* 1 tsp Cinnamon
* 1 tsp Ginger
* 1 tsp Vanilla extract
* ½ tsp Stevia (optional)
* Dash Sea Salt (optional)


Directions

1. Put all your ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. As soon as you begin to see bubbles coming to the top, reduce your heat to low and stir until the liquid is gently simmering.
3. Cook uncovered for 1 hour. Stir with a whisk every 10-15 minutes.
4. After an hour, most of the liquid will be absorbed by the rice, and the rice will have a tender but chewy texture.
5. In the warmer months, you can allow the pudding to cool and then chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When you’re ready to serve, just spoon it into a bowl or parfait dish and top with fresh fruit like bananas, peaches or pineapple.
6. In the cooler months of the year, I prefer to serve the pudding straight off the stove with raisins or dried cranberries. You can even add these in for the last 15 minutes of cooking time if you like them plump and juicy.

Notes about ingredients:
• Short grain brown rice has a better look and texture than long grain for pudding, and it has the same health benefits—high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Coconut milk contains saturated fat, but the short-and medium-chain fatty acids of coconut milk are easily and quickly assimilated by the body. Unlike the long chain fats of animal products, they are not as likely to be stored as fat in the body. And light coconut milk has much less fat than regular coconut milk.
• Unsweetened organic rice milk is a low-sugar, high nutrient alternative to regular milk, but almond and soy milk are healthy choices, too.
• Local honey is usually fresher and can help you with seasonal allergies.
• Cinnamon is great for blood sugar regulation, so feel free to add more if you enjoy a stronger cinnamon flavor.
• Ginger is great for your digestion, so adding it to desserts is a good idea.
• Stevia is an all natural sweetener with no calories.
• Sea Salt has a more robust flavor than regular salt, so you don’t need much of it.