Vegan Chocolate Pudding (Nut & Seed Free)

This vegan chocolate pudding is perfectly suitable for breakfast.  It’s loaded with protein and has superfoods.  I will probably serve this to my little ones on Valentine’s Day for a special breakfast.

ingredients

• 1 box of organic silk tofu (mine was 13 ounces or so)
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey works great too but not vegan)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups of melted chocolate chips (I used a full 3/4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional — can probably increase to 1 tablespoon without sacrificing flavor)

method

Melt chocolate in microwave or stove-top.  Add everything to a high powered blender (I used a vitamix).  Chill the pudding in ramekins or a small bowls/glasses.  I prefer my pudding cold.  So silky smooth, perfectly sweet, super chocolatey and healthy!!!  I topped my pudding with pitted amarena cherries with stems in syrup.

Popcorn balls

My favorite fall treat in CT were popcornon balls, wrapped in wax paper and available for $1!  I can’t find these in LA and they were crazy expensive online.  I used a recipe from the 1972 Betty Crocker cookbook.  This is our new family tradition — making popcorn balls on Halloween Eve!

I made a few modifications to the ingredients as follows:

• 1/2 cups unpopped organic popcorn — airpopped to make 16 cups
• 1.5 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup butter

method:

I followed the steps in cookbook, also found here.  Once my popcorn and sugary syrup was mixed up and cool enough to handle, the children and I buttered our hands and formed popcorn balls.  Delicious!!

 

Don’t cry over split pudding (slow cooker kheer/rice pudding)

I was super excited to make Kheer, cardamom scented rice pudding, in my slow cooker and serve it to the kids in the morning.  Whole grain dessert for breakfast!

The pudding was looking amazing but I fell asleep and woke up to the milk splitting (curdled).  Flavor was great but it kinda looked nasty.  We still ate it because it’s delicious.

I poured leftovers into dollar store popsicle molds.  Now they look beautiful and are tasty.  Perfect after school snack.  Mommy win!!!!

I spent too long googling how to save a split rice pudding  — if you are in this jam, I hope you turn split pudding into pudding pops!

---

ingredients:

• 11 cups organic milk of choice (I used whole milk)
• 1 can organic condensed milk
• 1-2 teaspoons cardamom powder
• 1 cup washed Basmati rice
• Pinch of salt (add after cooking)

method:

Dump everything into slow cooker on low except for salt.  Check it after 2 hours.  It might be done by 3.

The Most Delicious Chocolate Pudding EVER

I know this is a bold statement.  I like my chocolate pudding to be wickedly full of chocolate flavor, not too sweet and no fussy ingredients like egg yolks, heavy cream, etc.  I need to be able to whip up chocolate pudding at a moment’s notice.  Chocolate is my decadent indulgence.  One of my favorite food blogs — Smitten Kitchen — nailed it with an adapted recipe from the Essence of Chocolate by  John Scharffenberger.  This chocolate pudding can be made in one pot.  No fuss, no muss.  My kids are dark chocolate lovers so they don’t mind the grown up chocolate taste, I’m sure yours won’t either because who can say no to chocolate pudding?  Worth every single calorie.  I think it’s morally wrong to skimp on dessert.  Eat salad and then feast on chocolate pudding.

I have made this pudding multiple times. It’s my go to dessert for potlucks, school events, etc.  Adults and kids love it.

ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (30 grams) cornstarch (always buy organic because corn is a big GMO crop, it’s $4.99 for a box of organic corn starch from Whole Foods)
• 1/3 cup (66 grams) sugar (you can substitute with 1/3 cup of maple syrup)
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups whole milk (use a good quality whole milk such as Clover Farm; alternatively, if you are vegan, 1 14 ounce can of coconut milk PLUS 1-1.5 cups water or 3 cups ready made coconut milk from refrigerated dairy section is a great alternative)
• 6 ounces (170 grams) 62 or 72% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I generally use the gigantic 72% Belgium dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used a homemade vanilla extract)

method

In a cold pot, off the stove, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt.  Then slowly add the milk and keep whisking to avoid lumps.  I slowly added one cup at a time.  Then place pot on the stove on medium low heat.  Make sure you stir enough so the bottom doesn’t burn and there are no lumps.  It’ll take about 10 minutes for the mixture to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Then add all of the chocolate and mix for 2-4 minutes until the chocolate melts.  Remove the pot from the stove and add vanilla extract.  Either divide up the chocolate pudding in 6 ramekins or into glass dish and refrigerate. The pudding is delicious warm.  I put the chocolate pudding in a glass Pyrex dish and my toddler and I carefully licked every bite of warm pudding from the pot.

Aam Doodth (mangoes & milk) for breakfast or snack

Aam dooth was my favorite dessert during the summer.  An incredibly simple dish with a perfect blend of flavors — creamy, yet healthy.  I often give the children a non-cereal breakfast after I discovered most cereals are not healthy as the high temperature needed to make cereals results in a less nutrient dense end product.  It makes sense, better to eat more real foods that are minimally processed.  But I also need fast recipes for breakfast as we are often in a time crunch.  This recipe fits the bill.  It’s also a great way to use up left over grains.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked room temperature grain (i.e., rice, quinoa, etc.)
• 1 ripe mango smashed up by hand or food processed
• 1/2 cup hot milk (full fat  milk or vegan alternative)
• pinch of salt

method:

Mix all ingredients and enjoy as breakfast or a snack!