We all have specific comfort foods. Usually sweets like chocolate or starchy foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.
Sugary foods taste great but they don’t seem to fill me up or leave me feeling full. It doesn’t take long for me to start craving more. For me, starches are the ticket. They taste good! And as an added benefit they actually make me feel full after I eat them. And as my Mom would say they “stick to my ribs.”
It has been raining all weekend so sitting in front of the fire and reading or taking a nap have been our main agendas. Yesterday I woke up from a nap craving something hot and sweet. I know from experience that this kind of craving can be my undoing. Over the years I have developed a defense — my secret weapon which I keep in the freezer for just this kind of situation: coconut rice.
Coconut rice is starchy and slightly sweet and can be doctored up into something really delicious. Best of all it is incredibly simple to make. All you need to remember is that 1/3 of your liquid is coconut milk and 2/3 is water. The exact proportion does not need to be exact I have even made it 1/2 water and 1/2 coconut milk. Just know that the more coconut milk you use the sticker the rice.
If I make it on the stove I use 2 cups of liquid to one cup of rice:
- Wash one cup of brown rice and drain all water
- In a sauce pot place:
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cups water,
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Bring the combination to a rolling boil
- Cover and reduce the heat to low so that it simmers for about 40 (until liquid is absorbed)
If I make it in my rice cooker I use 1 1/2 cup of liquid to one cup of rice and I do NOT add salt because it tends to toughen the rice:
- Wash 1 cup of brown rice in the cooker and drain off the water
- In the cooker place:
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 3/8 cup coconut milk
- Add water to the 1 1/2 cup line
- Turn cooker on and wait for it to finish
Once you have the rice you are in business. Now the fun begins as you make it into something really satisfying and tailored to your particular taste buds:
- Put the rice in a sauté pan
- Add a little seasoning – salt, cinnamon, nutmeg or even pumpkin pie spice
- Add the extras like coconut flakes, dried fruit like raisins or cherries or nuts
- Add about 1/2 inch of coconut milk
- Heat on low, stirring constantly, until the milk is boiling
Some people add a little honey or agave when they eat it; for me the fruit makes it sweet enough. Some people even add chocolate chips. . .
No matter how I fix it, one big bowl satisfied both my craving for sweet and for starch with not too many calories. And I am happy and full for hours.