Eat More Fruit and Whole Grains - Frugal Vegan Fruit Pudding

I like to cook with what I have.  And this healthy fruit pudding can be made with practically anything.

Of course, I used my garden-fresh organic rhubarb.  With this recipe, I also transformed the bread end collection from our freezer from trash to treasure.

Overview

You need:

• any size oven-proof dish with cover
• enough fruit to half-fill the dish
• enough starch (wholegrain bread crumbs, oats with a bit of flour, etc) to fill to the top (or a bit over)
• liquid, spices and sweetening

My fruit pudding

I used a large dish (my new/old Corningware 2.5L) and:

Fruit

• 3 cups rhubarb
• 2 cups sliced canned apple
• 1 ripe banana

Rhubarb needs special attention as it's a very stringy and bitter plant.  I sliced the rhubarb stalks thinly in the food processor, and put them in the dish with:

• 1 tsp baking soda (reduces the sugar needed)

• 1/2 cup water

and cooked them in the microwave until mushy (5 minutes).

This gave me time to do more preparation.


When all the fruit is ready, add it to the cooking dish.

Starch

Does your family eat bread ends?  Yeah, I know.  We always have collections of them in the freezer.  I grated these into crumbs using the food processor - that filled the rest of the dish.  If I'd needed more, I would use dry oatmeal and no more than 1/2 cup ww flour.


When all the starch is ready, add it on top of the fruit.


I like to mix my fruit in with my starch, but you might choose to layer instead.

Spices (optional but recommended)

1/2 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger stirred into the mixture

Liquid/Sweetening

In a small bowl or jug combine:

• 3C (approx) liquid - water, juice, or any milk substitute depending on how rich you want it
• Sweetener of choice to taste - since I used rhubarb, I needed lots more sugar than for just bananas and apples.  One source suggests adding 1/2 cup of sugar for 3 cups of rhubarb. 
  
  I always add sweeter fruits along with the rhubarb to reduce the processed sugar needed.  Raisins and dates give lots of sweetness. 
  
  I use a couple of Tbsp of blackstrap molasses along with plain sugar to add flavour and important vitamins and minerals
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
• 3 Tbsp custard powder (optional) - this results in the pudding setting solidly.  You will have a crumblier but still very nice dessert without it.

Pour combined liquid over the mixture in the dish.  The starch should be all wet but not floating.  Add more liquid (water, juice, milk) if needed.

Cover and cook in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes.
(I put the cooking dish on a dinner plate to catch bubbly drips.)

Served with a fresh garden strawberry and covered with soy yoghurt and the most delicious caramel soy topping (won from Angel Food and going on the shopping list).

Have more rhubarb?  Vegan Rhubarb Cake and more!


Have more bread ends?  Stay tuned for my vegan stuffing recipe, just in time for Thanksgiving.