Danish Rice Pudding

The raspberry-currant sauce is the crowning glory in this very rich and tasty dessert from Denmark. It is usually served on festive occassions, but it is incredibly easy to make.  What's great about it is you can use leftover rice to prepare and no one would know!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chilled whipping cream
Large bowl of ice and water (ice bath)

In a large sauce pan, heat sugar, water, gelativ and salt. Stir constantly until gelatin and sugar disolves.  Stir in milk, rice and vanilla.  Stir for approximately 1 minute until all the ingredients are well incorporated.  place sauce pan in the bowl of ice water.  Continue stirring until pudding cools and mixture drops from the spoon is small mounds. This should take about 15 to 18 minutes.

Beat the whipping cream in a chilled bowl until it forms into stiff peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into the rice mixture.  It is important that pudding is cool before adding the whipped cream.  Transfer pudding to a ungreased 1 1/2 quart mold. Cover with saran wrap. Make sure saran wrap touches the pudding so as not to develop a skin.  Place filled mold in the refrigerator and allow to chill for approximately 3 hours.

Unmold rice pudding and serve with the raspberry-currant sauce.


Raspberry-Currant sauce:
1 10oz pkg frozen raspberries (thawed)
1/2 cup currant jelly
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tblsp cold water

In a sauce pan, heat raspberry (include any syrup in the bag) and jelly until it boils.  In a separate bowl, mix water with the cornstarch.  Gently mix into the raspberry sauce in the pan, stirring constantly.  Allow to boil for another 1 minute stirring continuously.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Press sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds or serve with seeds.

Irish Cream Rice Pudding

Found this recipe in Rachel Ray's Everyday Magazine a couple of years ago.  I made some changes to the recipe, then tried it out with friends. It was an absolute hit!

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
1 cup arborio rice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur (or more depending on taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Butter for baking dish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 9inch baking dish and set a side.  In a sauce pan, add 3 cups of milk, arborio rice, vanilla extract and sugar.  Heat until the sugar disolves. Stir occasionally to stop the rice from sticking to each other. Transfer contents from sauce pan to the butter baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir the contents to loosen the rice, recover and cook for another 30 minutes.  Check the texture, if it is still slightly hard/crunchy, stir, cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; add the raisins and the last cup of milk. Stir and let sit until it cools.  Divide the pudding into 6 glass containers or pudding cups and drizzle with the Irish cream liqueur.

Kashmiri Style Chops

The cooking method to this is pretty interesting...so I had to try. It came out really great! I paired it up with the wild rice and mushroom pilaf and it was dinner. So simple.  I know it sounds very different, but I recommend it, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients:
6 pork chops or lamb chops
1 piece cinnamon bark
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp peppercorns
4 green cardamon pods (pierced)
3 1/2 cups of milk (use whole)
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp of ginger pullp
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp garam masala
salt and pepper
enough oil to fry chops

In a large sauce pan, place chops with milk, cinnamon bark, bay leaf, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until chops are cooked through.

In a bowl, mix yogurt, flour, chilli powder, ginger pulp, garlic pulp, garam masala, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended.  Remove the chops from the milk and coat with the spicy yogurt mixture.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Make sure oil is not smoking or very hot. Use medium to low heat. Add the chops, fry until one side is golden brown, turn them over and brown the other side. When done, transfer to a serving dish and serve with lime quarter and your favorite rice.

NOTE: To make it spicier, just increase the chilli powder, garlic and ginger pulp, and garam masala in the spicy yogurt mixture to suit your taste.