Vegan Glorified Rice

I grew up eating sweet, fluffy Glorified Rice at Grandma's house every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grandma and Betty Crocker taught me to mix rice with crushed pineapple, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries. But now that so many people in our family are vegan (yay!), I wanted to come up with a non-dairy, sans technicolored cherries version. I did it! The flavor is so spot-on, even Grandma would approve.

serves 6 to 8

1 cup dry short grain white rice
One 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
½ cup + 4 tablespoons sugar
One 12.3 oz. pkg. firm silken tofu
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

Cook the white rice according to package directions. While the rice is still hot, place the rice in a large mixing bowl and stir in the crushed pineapple and ½ cup sugar. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for one hour to cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Place the silken tofu, 4 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice in a Vita-Mix or other blender. Blend until completely smooth. Fold the blended tofu into the rice mixture, breaking apart any clumps of rice with a wooden spoon.

Top with fresh sliced strawberries and serve.