Coconut black rice pudding

Sometimes my bf and I get these insane cravings for McDonalds. We have serious love for pink goo chicken nuggets and their extremely soft chocolate sundaes. Although my post has nothing to do with McD or nuggs, I'm currently posting this at midnight, still feeling full from my twenty piece nugg box, soft serve, and at least a gallon of diet coke. I have to wake up in less than 5 hours, but sometimes I forget how sensitive I am to caffeine, and drinking coke has got me all wired! Or I pretend to forget, because I can't have fries without coke. Also, we are both lactose intolerant, so we're on the wait for Montezuma's revenge >.<

Anyway, I thought I wasn't going to post throughout my internal medicine rotation, but we have all these mini holidays this month, including the world biking race coming to Richmond! Woo, getting a free entire week holiday!

Ack, I'm going off track and I want to get some studying done before I sleep. I'm leaving you with this totally summer-y and refreshing dessert to enjoy in the hot weather. Also did you notice the hospital gauze posing as "cheese cloth". LOL, don't worry it's sterile and fresh out of the packet :D

Coconut black rice pudding
makes 6-8 servings

1 cup black glutinous rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water

1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup white sugar
2 mangoes, diced
shredded dried coconut
other fruits

1. Rinse glutinous rice and let it soak overnight with at least 2cm water over the level of rice. In a small pot mix brown sugar and coconut milk. Drain rice, add to coconut milk and then add enough water so there is about 1 cm over the top of the leveled rice.
2. Bring to boil on high and then lower to low-med to simmer for about 35-40mins. Taste test towards the end and the rice should be chewy, but not hard or stiff. Fluff and let it cool. Stick it in the fridge to chill
3. To make the decorations over the rice, dissolve white sugar in coconut milk by warming it a little. Dice up mangoes or any other tropical fruits. Allow the sweetened coconut milk to chill as well
4. To assemble, scoop rice into a bowl. I used seran wrap and molded the rice into golf ball sized spheres. Place into shallow bowl. Stir up chilled coconut milk and pour over top. Arrange fruits over rice and sprinkle on some dried coconut shavings.
5. All components can be made a day or two ahead and even assembled together. 

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Matcha Affogato (no-churn)

My arms are full of babies this week! I'm currently working a week at the newborn nursery, and I see tiny hands and feet all day. I'm not one for babies usually, but I see their scrunched up faces and rolling chubby folds in their arms and I just melt. Omgee, my womanly hormones must be finally kicking in. I'm learning so many life lessons every day from the nurses and residents (that is if I ever decide to have children), that I almost feel like a regular baby expert haha! Then I see the faces of exhausted mums and dads and they're so tired that even their words are slurring... and I think, yea... I have no idea what having a child is like :P

But seriously, all my friends are getting married or having babies. There must be something in the water, or I'm just becoming an old fart. Although, med school has me all tied up for the next gazillion years, so I better freeze my eggs now!  

It's becoming almost unbearably hot and humid in Richmond. I get to the hospital at the crack of dawn and it is still so stiflingly hot. Sometimes I wish I had a gigantic ice cooler strapped to my chest while I walk to school. I just crave all things cold, so I've made this cooling dessert just for summer. It's a play on an Italian dessert called affogato (literally translates to "drowned"), where you take one scoop of cold vanilla gelato and then dump a shot of hot espresso over it.



This is my matcha take on the popular affogato dessert. A cold scoop of no-churn coconut matcha ice cream, topped with a shot of freshly whisked matcha!

Matcha Coconut Affogato
makes 6 servings

2 cans coconut milk or 1 can coconut cream (refrigerated overnight)
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp Panatea matcha (add to your discretion, I really like it strong so I even go up to 2-3tbsp)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup honey (optional: adjust to taste)

1. Take out refrigerated coconut milk, open one side of the can and scoop out ONLY solid portion into a mixing bowl. Save left over coconut water for shakes or just drink it! Whisk on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Whisk in vanilla, matcha and condensed milk. If it seems a little liquid-y, it's okay... it seems to freeze just fine!
3. Fill up a pint container, freeze overnight. When ready, allow to thaw outside a little so it is easier to use an ice cream scooper
4. Whisk 3 tbsp boiling water and 1 tsp of matcha powder in a small bowl. Scoop 1/2 cup ice cream into a short glass or small dessert bowl. Pour 1 hot matcha shot over ice-cream and serve immediately.

Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with panatea matcha. All opinions are my own.

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