Arroz con Leche de Avena

What makes you feel comforted and safe? For me, food with any ~mushy~ texture evokes a sense of tranquility- like this Arroz con Leche de Avena w/ a Moroccan twist.

During times of stress, angst, cluelessness- I always resort back to food. It’s always been a beacon of culture and love, and during my childhood, I looked at and used food as a means to an end- that end being a sense of pure bliss and joy.

This arroz con leche de avena is inspired by my grandmother, Moey, who cooked every single day for our family when she visited the states. The amount of love she put into every dish was felt, tasted, and devoured. Watching her dance and move so effortlessly in the kitchen always inspired me, and to this day, reminds me that happiness and peace can come in so many facets

For me, cooking and providing for others brings me a sense of joy and purpose during this time in this universe. I hope you can find that sense of joy and purpose too, and if you can’t right now- that’s okay. Just make some rice pudding! 

Arroz con Leche de Avena

Makes: about 4 servings

Time: about 45 minutes

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup arborio rice, rinsed very well until water runs clear

• 2 cups water

• 1 orange peel

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1/2 cup condensed oat milk, can sub for 1/2 cup of white sugar

• 2 cups oat milk

• 1/3 cup tahini

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

• Orange Blossom Candied Pistachios (see notes)

1. Begin by making your orange blossom candied pistachios (see notes) if planning on using them to serve with the arroz con leche de avena

2. Add your rice to a bowl and rinse with water until it runs clear. I like to go through 3 batches of cleaning to get the right amount of starches removed from the grains.

3. To a pot, add the 1 cup of arborio rice with 2 cups of water. Add the salt, orange peel, and cinnamon sticks. Stir to combine and heat over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then bring down to a simmer by lowering the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Check the rice. Most of the water should have been absorbed. To the pot, add the condensed milk, oat milk, tahini, and sugar. Stir until incorporated.

5. Cooking the rice mixture over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring consistently (as you would with risotto). Taste and add more cinnamon or nutmeg if you’d prefer more spice in the pudding.

6. Taste the rice, it should be slightly thick with grains that are tender. The pudding is done when the cream/rice sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Once cooked, add the orange blossom water and stir once more to incorporate it.

7. Serve the rice warm or cold (if serving cold, I like to add an additional 1/2 cup of oat milk to the mixture as the rice pudding will thicken in the fridge due to the natural release of the starches)

8. Garnish w/ orange jam, candied pistachios, and flakey sea salt.

9. Dive in!

NOTES

Orange Blossom Candied Pistachios

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (8oz) raw shelled pistachios

• 2/3 cup cane sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 3 tablespoons orange blossom water

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pistachios on a tray and roast them for about 8 minutes. Line another tray with aluminum foil.

2. While the pistachios roast, add the cane sugar, sea salt, orange blossom water, and cinnamon into a saucepot. Heat over medium heat and stir to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup water and continue stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.

3. Continue stirring the sugar until it comes to a rapid boil. At this point, the sugar should begin to bubble/foam. Continue cooking the sugar at this heat until the foam begins to clear and the sugar has reduced by almost half, about 6 minutes.

4. By this time, the pistachios have slightly roasted. Remove them from the oven and pour them into the saucepot. Toss to coat and pour the pistachios into the mixture. Continue stirring until the sugar begins to crystallize and coat the pistachios.

5. Pour the pistachios out onto the lined tray evenly, separating as many as you can. Let cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours (or place in the refregierator for about 30 minutes to speed up the process).

6. Break apart the pistachios and store in an airtight container

7. Garnish your Arroz con Leche de Avena, serve with a cheese board, or snack on them on their own.