arroz con leche

Lately I've been craving dairy. It happens every now and again. Usually it is cheese I need, but this time I've been dreaming about ice cream. I had a huge serving of vegan ice cream from Dun-Well Donuts in East Williamsburg, but it didn't end the need. Today I noticed a number of separate containers with left over brown rice and knew what I had to do.

Deb to the rescue. I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe, but only for its spice combo and basic idea. What I made was nothing like her recipe, really. I ended up with the perfect rice pudding. Perfect for me at this moment, any way.

An extra bonus: I found out today from my fellow blogger, Joanne at Eats Well With Others, that it is Whole Grain Sampling Day. So eat up!

Arroz Con Leche
Loosely adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest
2 whole cloves 
1/4 cup honey (or to taste)
1 egg, beaten
3 cups soy milk (I actually used 2% milk because we were out of soy, but either would work)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup raisins (optional - I would have used more but that's all I had)

1. Put rice in a saucepan and add milk, spices, salt, zest, honey and vanilla. Heat until boiling. Add egg slowly and mix continuously to make sure it doesn't curdle.

2. Leave on a low simmer, watching that it doesn't boil over, until desired consistency. I waited until it looked like the way I like my oatmeal, which doesn't help you any, but you can always cook it longer if it is too runny.

3. Let cool and refrigerate until serving. Serve cold with ground nutmeg sprinkled on top.