Even those with allergies can enjoy this pudding

If you have any friends or family who have food allergies, chances are they are allergic to one of the "big eight" foods. While allergies can be caused by any food, it's likely that one of these eight will be the cause. Cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat cause 90 percent of reported food allergies.
Today's recipe is free of any of these foods, plus it includes no animal foods. That means no cholesterol, since cholesterol is only found in foods derived from animals. But it also means if you are having a vegan over for dinner, this is a good dessert to serve. About 1 in every 72 people in the United States follows a vegan regimen. Everything in their diet is plant based, which means lots of grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. By the way, this recipe is also delicious, so you can feel confident serving it to everyone you know, whether they follow a special or non-mainstream diet.
As for food allergies, they seem to be on the rise. About 12 million Americans, or one of every 25 people have some type of food allergy. In children under 3 , it's one of every 17. Allergists say this is double the rate of 10 years ago.
Why more food allergies? That's a good question, and the answer is debatable.
Some physicians and specialists say that it's because we are exposed to more of these potentially allergenic foods too early, with some of the exposure coming from processed foods. Some say we are exposed too late and our bodies haven't learned that these compounds aren't invaders that need to be responded to. Other experts point to what some call the "hygiene hypothesis," which speculates that we have eradicated so many diseases and we have sanitized our environment so much that our immune systems aren't tested enough. Thus, we end up with an immune system that goes a little haywire when exposed to some of these food substances. Or the answer could be something else entirely.
A true food allergy has an immune response, which often shows up as a skin rash or respiratory problem. In severe cases, food allergies can lead to anaphylactic shock, which is fatal if not quickly treated.
Other symptoms like cramping or stomach rumblings may indicate an intolerance and not a true food allergy. While an intolerance is not as serious, it's still uncomfortable, and you will feel better avoiding the offending food.
In today's recipe, rice milk makes a good substitute for cow's milk in cooking or on cereal, but it isn't quite as nutritious. Cup for cup, the protein in rice milk is substantially less. And even rice milk fortified with calcium will have only about 60 percent or so of the calcium found in cow's milk.
Still, if you have a milk allergy, or if you are lactose intolerant, making for some uncomfortable side-effects after consuming milk, rice milk can be a reasonable alternative. In a dessert recipe like the one included today, you won't miss the cow's milk at all. Rice milk stands in just fine in this pudding, and blends well with the nutty brown rice taste and the smooth and creamy bananas.
If you don't have or can't find brown basmati rice, you can substitute regular brown rice or a long grain white rice. Of course, the brown rice will have more fiber and B vitamins, but white rice will work well in this recipe too.

Recipe:
Dairy-Free Banana Rice Pudding
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups plus 1 tbsp. gluten-free vanilla rice milk, divided
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. cornstarch
4 ripe bananas, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine rice, water and salt in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the liquid is fully absorbed, 45-50 minutes.
Stir in 3 cups rice milk, brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and bring to a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir cornstarch and the remaining 1 tbsp. rice milk in a small bowl until smooth; add to the pudding. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture is the consistency of porridge, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Mash 2 bananas in a small bowl. Stir the mashed bananas and vanilla into the pudding. Transfer to a large bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, slice the remaining 2 bananas. Top each serving with a few slices of banana and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 208 calories, 2 gm fat, 0 gm saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 49 gm carbohydrates, 3 gm fiber, 3 gm protein, 182 mg sodium.