Just reporting back for anyone who might be thinking of trying these…
Loved them! As did my 7 year old who ate the one I left on the kitchen table while showering…
My tweaks:
240g sushi rice
500g water
I did rinse the rice. I believe it will be stickier if you don’t but years ago I was told to always rinse rice, so I do.
Rice and water into a pot with a good fitting lid, bring to a boil on the stove, then into the oven at 210 F for about an hour or until water is all absorbed.
Then I added 50g full fat coconut milk, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Mixed it up and flattened it into a baking dish and put in the fridge uncovered overnight. Cuts up perfect. I make little sandwiches with peanut butter to bring with me. Carried in a ziploc in my top tube bag and they were easy to eat. Wrapped one in parchment for my jersey pocket and that was fine too. AND it was 85F when I rode… even on my back in the heat it held together just fine. I was quite surprised.
I’ve been trying to eat more “real” food during training rides and these will be my go to. Really pleased.
I think it was Lara Bar did an amazing crisped rice bar with seeds and lots of peanut butter in it. I loved those things. Putting a couple in a jersey pocked made them so warm and brought out the peanut butter flavor so well. And, well, they apparently stopped making them. No idea why, but I haven’t been able to find them for years.
Maybe making my own bars will have to be done because I have a hankering for that flavor and ‘mouth feel’.
This recipe got a lot of buzz during the Giro; it’s basically a Rice Krispie treat with chocolate and some oil added. I tried it and didn’t love it; in addition to a lot of fat, the bars are quite hard and crunchy, and I find them more difficult to get down than a moist-rice bar during a ride. They’re definitely very tasty though!
I think the oil is to thin out the marshmallow mixture. Too thick and you can’t stir in the Rice Krispies. You can buy marshmallow cream in a jar. Less work then trying to get them to melt.
Now for something a bit different.
I’m not a big fan of sweet while out on a hot ride. No chocolate or Nutella for sure.
Before freezing, I will put a teaspoon of soy or teriyaki sauce on each individual portion. I use mini loaf pans for chilling. Place in the refrigerator until semi solid. Tap them out onto a cutting board. Slice into portion size. A spot of wasabi paste. Wrap each piece in seaweed sushi wrapper. Then freeze solid.
This is a great non-sweet rice cake that I like a lot. A sprinkle of furikake seasoning on top is a nice crunchy touch. Umami Rice Cakes - Skratch Labs
If you really want to get wild, make this, leave out the aminos/soy, and add a THIN layer of vegemite between two layers of sticky rice. Great for hot weather when you want some extra electrolytes!
I’m guessing you might be confused as to the composition of these. Rice cakes here are (mostly) fresh rice pressed into a block, not crisped rice like a rice crispy treat or “rice cake” you’d buy at the store. Think sushi consistency, not crunchy,
For example, if I put regular white rice into my fridge uncovered, it gets rock hard after 1-2 days. I’m wondering how these rice cakes don’t turn rock hard. Is it the type of white rice? The added fat? Just keeping the rice airtight?
Well yeah, you wrap them individually or keep them in a sealed container so they retain their moisture, as you would any food you’re storing in the fridge. I wouldn’t store cooked rice uncovered in my fridge under any circumstance.
That is probably dried out rice vs rice in the fridge. The straggler grains on the edge of the bowl, even when covered, get really hard but the “blob” of rice just gets sticky. Which is perfect for these.
, lots of fat. Maybe add peanut butter and less oil?