It’s freezing in New York City.  By the time this is posted, the snow will be falling once again and NYC will have gotten more snow in January than any January in history.

Which is why this weekend I’ll be grabbing the ingredients for this warm and filling dessert that I made up last year while similarly freezing in Cincinnati.  It’s not too sweet, and a delicious dairy-free alternative to that gorgeous pudding that too often stares at me from behind the windows at Italian and Portuguese restaurants, eying me up and down as I sip my espresso.

Health notes: This recipe contains coconut milk (with medium-chained fatty acids, it’s very anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral, and helps build strong bones), and cinnamon (which helps to regulate blood sugar, has been shown to help arthritis symptoms and has a whole load of other health properties).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup long grain or basmati rice
• 1 cup coconut milk with 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 additional cups coconut milk
• golden raisins / sultanas (about 1/2 cup but to taste)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ground cinnamon to taste
• fresh nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• your favorite sweetener to taste

Directions:

• Cook the rice in your favorite form (stove top, pressure cooker, rice cooker etc.) with the 1 cup coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups water and raisins until all liquids are absorbed, the rice is soft and the raisins are plumped.
• Add the extra 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, cinnamon stick, lemon rind, and vanilla and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• When the liquid has reduced by half, add about 2 tablespoons of sweetener, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and about 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and taste.  Add more sweetener as desired.
• Simmer until the liquid is absorbed to almost an oatmeal-like consistency.  Any further and it will dry out before being served.
• Serve warm or chilled, with additional cinnamon on top or with sprinkled raisins or coconut.