Sometimes a little comfort food is in order.

Whilst for many of you the world is warming up and the sunny skies of summer are most definitely on the way, here in the UK the weather has been shocking! Just a few weeks ago it was officially announced we were in a drought having has such little rain during the first few months of the year….but oh my has April made up for that shortage! It has been grey and rainy non-stop and if I didn’t know better it feels as though we’ve skipped Summer and gone straight through to Autumn.

So, how can I remedy that situation?…by making yummy food of course. This is the perfect comfort food for spring, summer autumn or winter, subtly sweet and tropically coconutty, this little dish can be served either hot or cold for breakfast, dessert or as a snack any time of the day. Super versatile- just the way I like it!

I’ve never before made rice pudding from scratch and didn’t realise how easy it actually was. If you don’t have a Thermomix (which stirs it for you), you will need to keep a close eye on the hob and stir frequently, but otherwise it’s so easy. I’m surprised I haven’t tried it sooner.

I use Arborio (risotto) rice here as my first attempt to ensure a super creamy dish, buy you could use brown rice, I will give that a try next time.  The coconut milk teamed with the dates, maple syrup  and warming spices make for the perfect taste combination, you can add extra maple syrup or dates to taste if you wish for a sweeter treat.

I served this as dessert and it was very filling and satisfying, the ‘sink back on your chair with a smile once you’ve scraped the bowl clean’ type of satisfying!

Recipe: Creamy coconut rice pudding

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 200g Arborio rice
• 400g coconut milk
• 1 tbs ground chia seed
• 600g boiling water
• 50g maple syrup or agave
• Handful of dates
• 1 tbs vanilla powder or paste
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Sprinkling of nutmeg to serve                         

Method

Chop the dates finely by hand or in a food processor.  Add all the ingredients to a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes stirring frequently. Once the rice has cooked, stir through the maple syrup and then allow the rice mixture to sit for a few minutes to thicken before serving.

Serve with fruit, coconut flakes or a simple sprinkling of grated nutmeg.

Can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days.