Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

• 8 cups Bonsoy or other creamy soy milk

• 1 cup Jasmine rice

• 1 cup finely chopped dates

• 4 Bay leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom powder

• 3/4 cup white sugar

Method:

Rinse rice until the water runs clear, put in a large saucepan with milk and the Bay leaves. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Leaving the lid off stir constantly, scraping the sides of the pan to include all evaporated milk. After about 3/4 hour the rice should be softened and most of the milk evaporated. If rice is not soft add more milk and continue simmering and scraping the sides back into the rice until it is cooked and thickened. Remove and discard the Bay leaves, add sugar, cardamom and dates, stir well then remove it from the heat. Because Rice Pudding thickens as it cools, so add a little milk if it is very thick. Refrigerate to eat cold. Serve by itself or accompanied by Quinces.

Quinces

Ingredients:

• 5 large quinces

• 1 cup crystallised ginger, chopped tiny

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 2 tablespoons port

• 4 tablespoons honey

• 3 tablespoons roasted, slithered almonds

Method: Heat the water, stir in the honey, take it off the heat, and add the port. Peel and core the quinces, place them in a casserole dish, add the honey liquid and the ginger. Lid the casserole dish and bake in a moderate oven for about two hours or till the quinces are tender. Eat cold sprinkled with almonds.

Quince health benefits: The golden Quince, belonging to the apples and pear family, is a low-calorie fruit. The quince is a storehouse of dietary fibre, and minerals such as copper (130 µg or 14% of RDA), iron, potassium, and magnesium, as well as B-complex vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6 and antioxidant properties.