Coconut Tapioca Pudding (Dairy free & Gluten free)

 I love tapioca pudding and I have been looking at Bob's Red Mill Tapioca pearls for a while thinking it would be fun to use them to make pudding.

So I finally made some yesterday and really enjoyed the creamy wonderful pudding. So did my family. I had my cute little grandsons over yesterday and they enjoyed it too.

Ingredients

2/3 C Bob's Red Mill Small Pearl Tapioca
1 1/2 C water
1 can of coconut milk
1 C milk (Use cashew milk or almond or ?)
dash salt optional
3 eggs separated
1/2 C honey or other sweetener
1/4 C honey or other sweetener
1 tsp vanilla
fresh berries for on top

Directions    serves 6

1. Pour the tapioca  into a bowl and pour the water on top. Let them soften for 30 min.
2. After the 30 minutes is done pour tapioca and water into saucepan on medium  heat.
3. In a small bowl beat egg yolks stir in coconut milk, milk, salt and 1/2 C honey. Then stir into tapioca on the stove. Stir until it starts to boil. Turn down and simmer on low until it thickens about 10-15 min.
4. In the meantime pour egg whites and honey together until it forms soft peaks.
5. Fold 1 C of the tapioca mixture into the egg whites and then stir it back into the rest of the tapioca.
6. Cook on medium low for another 3-4 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
7. Pour into serving bowls. Let cool down and eat in 15 min. Or put in fridge covered with plastic and eat cold.
8. Serve with fresh fruit.

Steamed Persimmon Pudding (Recipe from Grandma)

So I thought it would be fun to make a recipe my mom and her mom used to make. I think it is fun to keep recipes from the past going. It is so easy now to look things up on the internet and not make that phone call to Mom or Grandma and ask them for their recipe. So my challenge is to make a phone call and get a recipe from the past for this holiday season. To keep old traditions alive.

I did make a few changes to it. To make it a little healthier. I was pleased how naturally sweet persimmons are. Therefore you don't need to add as much sweetener either. Did you know persimmons health benefits? High in vitamin C also anti-inflammatory benefits. Here are some more benefits. 

This tasted really good warm with the warm sauce over it. Thank you Grandma and Mom for sharing some of the past with me and my family. This pudding reminds me of the verse. "No bring us some Figgie pudding..... " I always loved that verse even though I didn't know what Figgie pudding tastes like. :) This would be fun for a holiday gathering.

Persimmon Puree

Ingredients

4 persimmons
1/3 C honey
1/4 C coconut oil (melted)
1 egg beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 C Your favorite whole grain flour (I used kamut flour)
1/3 C ground chia *Optional
3/4 C milk (I used cashew milk)
1 C currants or rasins
1 C chopped walnuts  *optional

Caramel Sauce

1 C coconut milk
1/4 C honey
1 T coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla

Persimmon Pudding

Caramel Sauce

Directions  Heat oven to 350

1. Take stems off of the persimmons. Place in sauce pan with a small amount of water with lid on. Until they are soft when you prick with a fork. Take off the heat and peal off the skin.
2. Place persimmons in blender and blend until smooth, and should be 1 1/4 C puree.
3. In a bowl add the ingredients as listed. Stir until all combined.
4. Pour into greased mold. I used small mason jars. You could use a large container and cook it all together. You could also use ramekins.
5. Place the containers or containers you choose into a larger pan with water that goes up about 1/4" on the sides. (It helps to let it steam.)
6. Place into heated oven. Cooking time with vary according to size of container. Should be done in 25 to 30 min. When toothpick comes out clean.
7. While the pudding is cooking. Heat a small sauce pan on medium heat. Pour in milk, honey and oil. Cook and stir often until slightly thickened. Take off the heat and stir in vanilla.
8.  Drizzle sauce over the top of the pudding while its warm. You could also serve with whipped coconut cream, Whipping cream or ice cream.

Crustless Banana Cream Pie (Healthy Version)

My families favorite pie is banana cream pie. This is a great way to enjoy the flavor without the crust.  Which is a great way to cut down the calories and still enjoy the great taste. I am not a big fan of pie crust so this is a great choice. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

4 Tbsp. sugar or honey
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp. butter 
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can of coconut milk (refrigerated overnight or up to 6 hours)
1-2 T desired sweetener (I used honey)
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 chopped up bananas

Directions  serves 4-5

1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small saucepan. Gradually add milk. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes bubbly. Lower heat and cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. 
2. Beat egg yolks gently. Take a small amount of cooked mixture and stir it into egg yolks to temper egg. This will prevent eggs from becoming scrambled in your pudding. Return egg yolk to the mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a slow boil. Cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.
3. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put cut bananas in the bottom of the dishes. Transfer pudding into dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate for an least 1 hour.

To make coconut cream

1. Take can of milk out of the fridge. Scoop out into a bowl only the thickened part. Do not get any of the liquid at the bottom. (Use the liquid at the bottom for smoothies or just drink it.)

2. Beat with a hand mixer until it forms soft peaks. Then fold in the sweetener honey and vanilla. Cover with plastic. Place in the fridge. 

3. Scoop cream on to chilled pudding right before serving. . Place additional cut up bananas on top. Serve.

3. The cream will stay good about a week in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

Vanilla Chia Pudding with Raspberries (clean eating)

I am a big fan of tapioca pudding and rice pudding. It really reminded me of a combination of these puddings. This is a clean eating version of it without all the sugar and extra ingredients. It is fast and easy to make. It would be a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. It was a delicious mid morning snack for me today. I loved every bite of it. You can make it soft serve in an hour or you can leave for 4 hours or overnight for a thicker pudding. So healthy and good!

Ingredients

1/2 C canned coconut milk full fat

1 C almond milk unsweetened vanilla

2 T maple syrup

1/4 C chia seeds

1 C raspberries fresh or frozen and thawed

Directions    serves 2

1. In a mason jar pour in coconut milk, almond milk, maple syrup, and chia. Put on the lid. Shake the jar several times to get the seeds evenly distributed.   

2. Place jar in fridge covered.

3. Take out of fridge and shake or stir if necessary to get any seeds that are sitting on the bottom of the jar. Place back in the fridge covered.

4. It will be ready to eat soft serve in another 30 minutes. If you want it thicker wait at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. Top with berries and devour it. Yum!

Chocolate Banana Cream Pudding

My family has always enjoyed chocolate pudding with bananas in it. This is a healthy way to make it with out any cooking and with a low amount of sweetener. It tasted creamy and yummy. The chia in it was a nice way to thicken it. 

 Ingredients

1 14 oz can coconut milk (full fat)
2 frozen bananas
2 T cocoa
4 T honey or vegan sweetener
2 T chia ground
1 chopped up fresh bananas

Directions     Serves 2

1. In a blender blend milk, bananas, cocoa, and honey until all smooth.
2. Then blend in chia until all smooth.
3. Pour in serving dishes.
4. Chill a couple hours until to desired thickness.
5. If desired serve with chopped up bananas. Yum!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

My son Derek came home and told me he is all done with his classes. He graduates on Friday. We went to his tennis banquet last night. We are sad to see that 4 year chapter closing.  My season of having children at home going to school is over. I was reflecting on all the memories I have of the past 25 + years of having children in school. It is fun to think back on all of the school programs, helping in classes, school dances, tennis matches, home lunches, reports, report cards, teachers, graduation ceremonies, coaches, friends, bus rides, field trips. There are many cherished memories. I knew the day would come it is crazy to have it here.  As this chapter comes to a close I am thankful for my 7 sweet children that have been a part of those sweet memories. I love being a Mom. My favorite job in the whole wide world. I get sentimental in closing this chapter of life but, look forward to the chapter that is ahead. Life is good.

My little boy is not little anymore. 

So it was a great day to make some pudding. It is always a good day to eat pudding especially when it is a healthy recipe like this one. You can't go wrong when you mix chocolate and peanut butter together. Then adding in the chia is an added bonus.

Ingredients

2 C almond milk unsweetened vanilla
4 T chia
2 T peanut butter
2 T cocoa powder
3 T honey or 6 softened dates for vegan version
1 frozen banana  cut in pieces*optional

Directions serves 4

1. Pour all of the ingredients into the blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour into dishes and chill in the fridge at least 4 hours or overnight. 
3. Take out of the fridge and serve. Oh Yum!

Here is a chocolate peanut butter split smoothie with chia.