Recent successful adventures in dairy free food

[alias_sqbr]

Bare Crush 100% fruit icy poles, had the mango today and it was quite nice.

Nutty Bruce almond milk, from Maylands IGA: The only almond milk I've found in Perth that doesn't contain vegetable gums. A little bitter but thick and great in cooking, I made the tastiest chicken curry with it as a replacement for coconut milk (which it is not as thick and tasty as, but it's still better than rice milk)

Dripping: Being 100% animal fat it is not exactly the kind of vegan health food one usually associates with "dairy free", but it doesn't set off my food issues and makes for a tasty butter/oil substitute on vegemite toast and roasted potatoes. Available from all supermarkets super cheap!

Microwave rice pudding (would also probably work with dairy), adapted from this stovetop recipe
Ingredients:

1 cup cold white cooked rice
enough "milk" to make it soupy, maybe a cup?
large pinch salt
1 egg
optional:
dash vanilla essence
1/2 cup tinned fruit or a mashed banana
pinch cinnamon
sweetener eg 1 tsp to 1/4 cup sugar

Method:

Mix everything but the egg in a wide-rimmed microwave safe ceramic bowl. Microwave for 4-5 minutes on high, checking to make sure it isn't boiling over especially if your bowl doesn't have a wide rim (it helps for some reason) THE MOMENT it's done crack in the egg and stir briskly so it forms a custard with some of the rice, then mix evenly into the rest. Leave to sit for a minute or two. Eat!

It's really important that the mixture be SUPER hot, if you get delayed after the microwave goes off microwave it again until it's bubbling. You still can't guarantee the egg is 100% cooked but microwaving it once it's mixed in ends badly and personally I am ok with slightly raw egg.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

That's a fascinating approach to rice pudding and I'm gonna try it tomorrow and report back!

I've tried freezing 100% fruit into ice pop molds and it's not thick enough to hold the freeze. How do they do it?

[alias_sqbr]

Let me know how it goes! I have no idea how they get it to work but it was definitely solid.

[fred_mouse]

I've had some success with freezing 100% fruit juice. Trying to remember which ones I did without added sugar - strawberry? kiwi fruit? So it might have to do with the type of fruit selected?

[moonvoice]

I exclusively make scrambled eggs in the microwave now, because they turn out fluffy and it's just so much easier overall. But this looks really good. I think I'd skip the tinned fruit / banana, but wow, everything else looks brilliant. I've often wondered how rice pudding would go in the microwave to be honest, and it's one of my all-time favourite comfort foods.

It's good that this works with non-milk 'milk' products as well.

[alias_sqbr]

I hope it brings you delicious rice pudding!

How does scrambled eggs in the microwave work?

[moonvoice]

The biggest issue is mostly time. But basically, you prepare the eggs like you would normally (eggs, some milk (or milk substitute), a bit of salt and pepper (latter optional) and place them in a microwave safe container that has a steamer lid, like the cheapie plastic ones you might use for peas or corn etc. If no steamer lid, then a cover like glad wrap where you can vent one side.

Do 40 seconds. Stir. (It will look a *tiny* bit cooked around the outside, but still be liquid in the middle).
40 seconds. Stir.
40 seconds. Stir.
40 seconds. Stir. (by now, 4 eggs are well and truly cooked and fluffy and broken up in this household, lol - but we have a beast of a microwave).

Basically you work in increments until you get the consistency you want. I like eggs with almost no liquid at all, so I go for longer than most. It can be annoying to clean, but no more so than anything else you bring to boil in a microwave that has a milk product (or milk substitute) in it. I just soak the microwave plastic thingie afterwards for the day and clean at night.

I also do this with like, eggs + ham + cheese + herbs + mushrooms + whatever. My sister taught me this when she was high on pot one day (she honestly made the best foods when she was high, lol). And at the time I was like 'how is this even a thing' and now I'm converted and I haven't made scrambled eggs any other way since. :D

[alias_sqbr]

Sounds good, I'll have to try it, thanks!

[kerravonsen]

Tasty butter/oil substitute, though not super cheap, but lovely tasting: sesame oil. I have sometimes had this on toast, with a sprinkle of salt. You wouldn't want to have it with vegemite, though, because the vegemite would drown out the taste.

[alias_sqbr]

Huh that's an interesting approach I'd not have thought of! Though I guess I experience something similar when I toast my sesame rolls cut in half, the oil comes out of the sesame seeds and gives a really nice flavour.