- 3/4 cup brown Basmati rice or any whole-grain long-grain rice
- 3 large navel oranges
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
- 4 cups fat-free evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or another low-sugar milk alternative)
- 2 tablespoons stevia
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (optional, for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnish)
1. Boil 2 cups of water in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook rice for about 20 minutes until it is tender and most of water has been absorbed.
2. Wash one of the oranges and remove 1 teaspoon of zest from it with a fine grater; set aside. Halve that orange and juice it; reserve the juice.
3. Cut the rind off of the remaining 2 oranges, removing the pith (white part) to expose the segments. Remove the segments by cutting between the membranes; set segments aside.
4. When the rice is tender add 1/2 cup of reserved orange juice, the reserved orange zest, vanilla bean, evaporated milk, almond milk, and natural sweetener.
5. Cook rice mixture over medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently until is has a creamy consistency, about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Remove the vanilla bean and divide the rice mixture among bowls to serve warm, or cover and refrigerate to serve chilled. Garnish with a few orange sections, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds, if desired.
Tips:
For a quick and easy way to get seeds out of the pomegranate cut it in half and with the cut side facing into a bowl, whack the bottom with a wooden spoon release the seeds.
