Blueberry Flaxseed Rice Pudding

Hi everyone! I hope that you are enjoying your summer so far! I cannot believe that it’s half way over already! I have been eating a ton of fruit lately and loving Oregon’s amazing selection of fresh berries! I know that the best way to digest fruit is to eat it alone, but it’s too tempting to use them in recipes. So, here you go with another fruitty recipe.

This recipe morphed many times while I was making it. First, it was going to be mango coconut Thai rice pudding. When I didn’t have mangos, I was going to substitute pineapple. Then I saw the fresh blueberries that I had in the fridge and I knew this combo would be magical. This makes a comforting desert or a delectable breakfast.

Blueberry Flaxseed Rice Pudding

1 cup brown basmati rice

2 cups water

1/2 t salt

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon vanilla coconut milk (I used SoDelicious brand)

1/4 cup agave

2 T brown sugar

1 t ground cinnamon

1 T cornstarch

2 t vanilla extract

1 t coconut extract (optional)

1 T coconut oil

1/2 cup freshly ground flaxseed

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 T hemp seeds (optional)

Combine rice, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the liquid is fully absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.

Stir in 3 cups coconut milk, agave, brown sugar and cinnamon and bring to a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir cornstarch and the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut milk in a small bowl until smooth; add to the pudding. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture is the consistency of porridge, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Remove from heat. Add the vanilla, optional coconut extract and coconut oil into the pudding. Transfer to a large bowl and add the fresh blueberries, ground flaxseed and hemp seeds. You can stir them in or leave them as a garnish on top.

I prefer to enjoy this pudding in large quantities while it is still warm, but you might want to cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Feel free to play around with different fruit and nut combinations. I have a love affair with blueberry flaxseed muffins, so that is why I chose them together.

Have a great week and I’ll be back next week with anther recipe!

~ Kilee

Fresh Corn, Tomato, Avocado, Black Bean Salad

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope that you are having a fun, relaxing weekend. I have been loving the hot weather here in Portland. Yesterday I went to a local produce stand and picked up a ton of goodies for less than $20.

Aren’t they pretty! I was more excited about my loot than anything I saw at the Sandy Mountain Festival that I went to afterwards. I was itching to get in the kitchen to whip something up. The result:

Fresh Corn, Tomato, Avocado, Black Bean Salad

2 ears of fresh sweet corn

3 tomatoes

1 avocado

1 lime

1 can of rinsed black beans

Small handful of fresh parsley

Large handful of fresh cilantro

Salt & pepper to taste.

Husk the corn and place it in a large pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and immediately drain the corn. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator.

Dice the tomatoes and avocados. Chop the parsley and cilantro. When the corn has cooled off, slice it from the cob and put all the ingredients besides the lime in a medium sized bowl.

Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and gently stir until everything is mixed together. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and you have a refreshing summer salad. I would serve this as a side dish or over a bed of fresh greens.

I hope that everyone has a fun week!

Take care,

Kilee

Gluten-Free Boccone Dolce

Hi everyone! How have you all been? I hope you have been enjoying the gorgeous weather we’ve been having lately! I have a recipe to share with you that’s perfect for a gluten-free celebration. It was one of my co-worker’s birthday lunches this past week. Lately she has been telling me that she wants to try eating gluten-free for a while to see if her brain-fog, digestion, etc. issues will go away. A little light went off in my head when I put the two together: B-day lunch celebration + gluten-free girl = excuse to try out a new gluten-free dessert.

Enter the Boccone Dolce. Blake’s aunt orders this cake from Papa Hayden’s for every family birthday celebration and I have been dying to try to make it myself. The menu description reads:

Boccone Dolce
Swiss meringues drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate, layered with fresh fruit and chantilly cream.

It’s pretty much the best light, sweet, versatile dessert that you could ask for. The whole plate was practically licked clean within 15 minutes by my coworkers.

I have to admit that I was afraid to try to make the meringue with fresh egg whites and sugar, so I used some Wilton meringue powder that my mom had unopened in her cupboard.  Next time I’ll be brave enough to try the real deal. Another great thing about this dessert is that you can use whatever fresh fruit your heart desires. Blueberries and strawberries are abundant at roadside stands right now and I picked some up on my drive back from the coast. (I went home to Gearhart for an amazing 4th of July weekend with family and friends.) I also love it with bananas and want to try adding fresh pineapple some time.

Boccone Dolce

Meringue Layers (makes 3 10″ rounds)

1/4 cup Wilton Meringue Powder

1 cup cold water

1 & 2/3 cup white super fine sugar (regular granulated is fine too)

1/2 t high quality vanilla extract

1.  In a large bowl, combine the meringue powder, water, 1 cup of the sugar and vanilla. Whip at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add the rest of the sugar and continue to whip at high speed for 4-5 more minutes, until meringue is stiff and dry.

2.  You will need to line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.  Draw the circles (the size you want your meringue layers to be) on the under side of the parchment.

3.  Take a rubber spatula and start spreading the meringue inside the circles.

4.  Bake at 225 degrees for 2 and a half hours.  Meringue should be white in color and crispy all the way through.  If they’re stillsoft after this time, you can bake them longer.  The low temperature will prevent them from browning too quickly and the wax paper from melting if you are using it.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/4 cup powdered sugar or superfine sugar

1.  Whip cream to soft peak

2.  Add vanilla and sugar

3.  Whip cream to stiff peak — then it’s ready to use.  The cream needs to be stiff in order for it to hold the meringue layers together.

6 oz melted semi sweet chocolate chips (I like to melt mine in the dehydrator and stir it every 5 minutes or so)

2-3 pints mixed berries (may use your favorite fresh fruit)

Let’s put together the Boccone Dolce:

1.  Put one layer of meringue on your serving plate

2.  Drizzle melted chocolate over the layer

3.  Spread 1/3 of your whipped cream on top of the layer, and top with berries.

5.  Repeat with the next layer

6.  Top with 3rd meringue layer.  Drizzle with chocolate. Top with remaining whipped cream and decorate with remaining fruit.

7.  Decorate with edible fresh flowers, fruit, mint or geranium leaves.  Enjoy!