Do you eat leftovers? We do, a lot. I know some people don’t, but I was raised in a no-wasting household, food and otherwise. I get unnecessarily stressed out about food waste, which is perhaps not entirely a bad thing. Using everything to the very end of its usefulness is good for the budget, even if it does require a little planning. Now that I have a household of my own, I have embraced the leftovers, and one of my personal challenges is to reuse meal extras in creative and resourceful ways, so that we aren’t simply microwaving yesterday’s dinner to eat again today.

My husband is the one that introduced me to rice pudding. Prior to meeting him, the only rice pudding I remember having was the kind that I picked up in the university cafeteria, in little plastic cups with sealed foil lids, Kozy Shack emblazoned across the packaging and enjoyed between classes with a plastic spoon. My family was a potato family growing up – our starch of choice came in tuber form. Must be that good Irish stock. But regardless, rice was not something that was made often, and when it was, it was usually from a blue & red box, in “Minute” form. Or pre-seasoned and fried, the “-A-Roni” version. And on special occasions, the kind in the round foil containers with cardboard lids, from the Chinese take-out place. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned to cook rice, and admittedly, I am woefully bad at it. I should invest in a rice cooker, but my husband loathes the idea of another single-use appliance in the house when my kitchen and storage is already brimming with all the kitchen gadgetry that I already have.

This recipe is one that I came up with to make use of leftover rice. I am often a poor judge of pre-cooked portions, and end up making far too much. And often even when I find that sweet spot and don’t think there will be any left, my children are less hungry than I expected. This is a very forgiving recipe for alterations. The only rule to really keep in mind is equal parts cooked rice and liquid, perhaps erring on the side of more liquid rather than less. Feel free to play with the proportions – more or less cream, half and half, coconut milk, whatever you like according to your taste. You can also sweeten it however you like, but if you are using a granulated sugar, you may want to add it earlier in the cooking process. I prefer to sweeten with raw honey, so I add it as close to the end as possible to preserve the distinct wild honey flavour. This is our favourite variation, as well, with a rich rum flavour and plump, warm raisins.

Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup cream
2 Tbsp honey
2/3 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp dark rum
2 Tbsp honey
pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, bring rice, milk, and cream to a simmer over medium low heat. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has mostly been absorbed and the pudding is beginning to look thick, about 20-30 minutes.

Add honey, raisins, vanilla, rum, and salt. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until the pudding is thick and the raisins have plumped up a little. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold. {Note: If you refrigerate to serve later and wish to reheat, you may have to add some extra liquid, as it thickens considerably upon cooling}. Serves 4-6.