Almond and Date Rice Pudding

There's just no way to make rice pudding photogenic, I'm sorry to say.

I almost always have some kind of leftover rice in the fridge, and most of the time I use it for fried rice or to eat with kimchi. Sometimes, though, I’d prefer a really cheap, filling, and healthful dessert, so I go with rice pudding then. It’s particularly win with Child Tester, who is a huge fan of dessert. Sometimes, she’ll try to short her meal so she can eat more dessert, and rice pudding is an excellent fix for that! I’m also not above using rice pudding as a meal, because it really is healthful, feels like it’s not, and gets leftovers out of my fridge with fewer dishes to wash! I’m all about dodging dishes these days, y’all. The dishes have started feeling like an evil overlord, so I’ve stripped my methods down a bit more in response to that.

Per usual, this is easily customized to what you’ve got in the kitchen already. Got half an apple or orange you need to use up? Chop it up and use it in place of dates! Dried fruits you prefer are in the house? Use them! Some candied citrus peels? Yes! Hazelnuts or pepitas instead of almonds lurking in the freezer or pantry? Works too! Make it your own, basically, since this is more of a guide than a recipe. I usually make this with cow’s milk because I always have it in the house, but this particular version of pudding is better with unsweetened almond. Let your cravings be your guide!

Here’s what you’ll need

2 cups leftover rice (mine was brown but you can use anything)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar (I normally use vanilla sugar here; if I’m too lazy to go get it I do regular plus a splash of vanilla)
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or just roughly chopped, if you're like me)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Proper directions: Heat the milk, sugar and cinnamon, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rice and cook until thick, stirring occasionally. Add almonds and dates and cook another couple minutes. Serves 2.

Here’s what you’ll do

Heat the milk, sugar, and cinnamon, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add your rice, stirring occasionally, and cook it until it’s thickened. Add nuts and fruit, cook a couple of minutes more, then eat! This serves 2 people if they really want a lot, but you can do smaller portions and serve 4.