Arroz con leche - Vegan and gluten-free stylie!

A few of my friends have requested vegan and gluten-free desserts, so I've decided to start a new category on my blog that specifically caters to them. And for my first post I thought, rice pudding totally fits the bill.

Rice pudding was a staple sweet in our household when I was growing up. My mom frequently made it using leftover precooked jasmine rice. It's such a classic dessert, and it seems as though every country in the world has their own version. My personal fave is arroz con leche from Spain, which usually includes a hint of lemon flavor.

If you don't mind dairy, you can replace the soy milk with whole or skim. A batch will make approximately 6-8 servings.

Arroz con leche
Adapted from Gourmet, February 2009 Issue

• 2 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain white rice
• 4 cups soy milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 (4-inch) strips lemon zest
• 1 (3-to 4-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Stir in milk, rice, sugar, zest, and cinnamon stick and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until thickened and rice is tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm in a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon before serving.

Eat up, my vegan and gluten intolerant friends! To be continued...