Fruit and nut rice pudding

Serves

4

Timing

Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 40 mins

55g/2oz pudding rice
570ml/1 pint skimmed milk
1½ tbsp golden caster sugar
5 cardamom pods, slit open and seeds crushed in a pestle and mortar
30g/1oz shelled Brazil nuts, roughly chopped
55g/2oz shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
6 dried apricots, chopped
55g/2oz raisins

Method

1 In a pan heat the rice and milk together, bring up to the boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook gently for 30 minutes, keeping an eye on the mixture.

2 Add the nuts, apricots, raisins, cardamom pods and sugar and cook for a further 10 minutes, adding a little more milk if the mixture is starting to look a little dry.

3 Serve immediately. Or cool, refrigerate and reheat when required, or eat chilled.

Dr Clayton says

The addition of dried fruit and nuts makes this rice pudding a good provider of flavonoids, anti-oxidants and minerals, as well as giving it much more appeal.

Rice is a useful source of complex carbohydrates, used as fuel for the body. Use skimmed milk for the benefit of a high calcium content without excess saturated fat.

Nuts are an excellent source of Vitamin E, an anti-oxidant essential for a healthy heart as well as B vitamins. They also provide a useful source of protein, particularly in a vegetarian diet. Brazil nuts also contain Omega 6 PUFAs and the anti-cancer mineral selenium.

Dried apricots are a rich source of beta carotene and fibre, and are also rich in iron and potassium, which has been associated with a decrease in blood pressure. Raisins are high in flavonoids that protect the heart from oxidative damage in the blood vessel walls.

Dr Clayton says

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Heart disease