Sweet Potato Carob Rice Pudding

March 27, 2011 By Leanne Vogel July 20, 2015

My mind was going a mile a minute yesterday. There’s lots of change, opportunity, and set backs brewing in our life right now. Although change can be scary at times, it brings with it new opportunities, lessons, and chances for us to amaze ourselves. Many of the things that are happening are very exciting, I can’t wait to fill you all in. My dreams really are coming true which proves to me how important it is to scream to the universe I’M READY, I KNOW MY PURPOSE! It took me years to gain the courage to scream these words, but I’m screaming and the universe is listening! As great as all this is, having a busy mind while trying to be creative in the kitchen usually leads to baking and photography disasters. Hence the blue background with today’s recipe. I really shouldn’t have used blue. But the rice pudding did turn out perfectly on the first try, which is more than I can say about the 4 other recipes that I attempted to make. You win some, you lose some, right?

Sweet Potato Carob Rice Pudding

Author: Leanne Vogel

Recipe type: Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Yeast free

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 1 serving

Carob is a great [healthy] caffeine free alternative to chocolate and combines well with the deep flavors of this pudding. Adding sweet potato to this rich and filling breakfast is a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your day. Inspired by: my Sweet potato carob chip cookies and Oh She Glows

Ingredients

1¼ cup water
¼ cup brown jasmine rice
¾ cup non-dairy milk [I used almond]
¼ cup finely grated sweet potato [uncooked]
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon coconut sugar aka coconut sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon carob powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch of himalayan rock salt

Topping

carob chips and coconut

Instructions

Combine water, rice and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain remaining liquid and return rice to the stove top.
Stir in almond milk, chia seeds, coconut sugar, vanilla, carob powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 20 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, stir in grated sweet potato.
Remove from heat and stir in carob chips before serving.

View Nutritional Information (once on page scroll down) Nutrition stats: calories 356; fat 10g; carbohydrates 59g; dietary fiber 10g; sugars 9g; protein 8g Nutrient profile: high in vitamin A, E, dietary fiber and low in cholesterol.

I’ve been so addicted to carob lately. Like, mad addicted. Major cravings. Sometimes [not all the time] the foods that your body is craving points to possible deficiencies. Interesting, no? Carob is similar to cacao but with less sugar and 0 caffeine. Instead of being acidic like cacao, carob is alkalizing [meaning it contains loads of minerals!]. It’s flavor is nuttier and deeper than cacao and it leaves the most amazing aftertaste in your mouth. <3 The nutrients found in carob include:

Calcium
Vitamin B
Potassium
Iron
Vitamin A & D

Hmm… so maybe my body is deficient in some of these nutrients, but what health benefits does carob bring to the table [hehe]?

Helps to stabilize blood sugar.
Improves digestion. Helps to regulate things.
Works as an antioxidant. Neutralizes free radicals after a long workout.
Like coconut it is antibacterial and antiviral. Gosh only knows how much I crave coconut. These two really go hand in hand.

I totally understand why my body needs this right now. If done in a healthy way, giving into your cravings may be exactly what your body needs. Our bodies are so intuitive and can usually tell us everything we need to know about our health, we just need to listen. Bring on the carob! Do you listen to your cravings in a healthful way? Have you defined your life purpose to the universe [I swear it’s fun to scream it… literally]? Do you experience difficulty with change? How do you overcome it?

This entry was tagged: carob, pudding, sweet potato