Rice Cake Wrapping + Recipe
Rice cakes. They're the new black. At least in the world of nutrition-conscious athletes they are. Our cookbooks, The Feed Zone and Feed Zone Portables, have recipes for a variety of delicious rice cakes to suit every palate. We've put together this simple post to help answer some of the most common questions and even give you a new recipe to try for yourself.
One of the most common questions we receive has to do with how to wrap a rice cake or other portable. Admittedly, it can be a little tricky the first few times. (Skratch Paper will certainly help the process.) However, with a little practice, and these step-by-step instructions (and video), you can be wrapping as fast as a professional soigneur.
Apple/Cinnamon Rice Cakes
The Last time we whipped up a batch of these they disappeared in a hurry. They're great for vegetarians or anyone who just wants a little variety in their rice cake arsenal. The flavor is somewhere between apple pie and apple-cinnamon oatmeal. Let us know what you think after you've tried them.
Ingredients
3 cups uncooked sushi rice
4 1/2 cups water
1 apple, peeled and minced
2 Tablespoons raw sugar
juice of one lemon (roughly 3 Tablespoons)
Top with: 2 Tablespoons raw sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
Combine rice, water and a dash of salt in a rice cooker and let cook.
When the rice is finished cooking, transfer it to a large bowl and add the apple, sugar and lemon juice.
Once all the ingredients are incorporated, adjust seasoning to taste. Evenly spread the mixture into a 9x12" baking pan and top with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and coarse salt.
How long will the Rice Cakes stay good?
We get this question often. While the answer varies from recipe to recipe, we can tell you that some of the Skratch Team have tested the limits of rice cake stability without any problems. From purely a taste perspective, obviously the fresher they are, the better they will be. From an "are they safe to eat?" perspective, here's what we know:
In the name of research Chef Biju recently ate a few rice cake laden with eggs, chicken apple sausage and related fix-ins. The rice cakes were made early in the morning, stuffed into a sandwich bag, thrown in the back of a pick-up truck and brought along for a day of training. It may have even spent some time in the back pocket of one of the riders and/or on the floor in the truck. After the ride, this bag was carried into house, and forgotten on a countertop. The next morning, 24 hours later, Biju thought it would be fantastic to eat that rice cake while Allen watched. It was as delicious as when he first hand crafted it, and he suffered no ill effects.
Aaron, another member of our team here, has frequently made rice cakes in his hotel rooms the night before races and never had a problem eating them late the following afternoon after carrying them around all day in his jersey pocket. He says he's gone so far as to ride and race on three or four day old rice cakes. "They definitely lose some of the taste the older they are, but I've never had any other issues with them." Aaron also loves to use them for more than just racing and training and can frequently be seen enjoying a savory rice cake at airport terminals around the country.
We've also heard mixed reviews from people who have tried freezing them. It seems to work for some, but not others. That one you may have to test on your own. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
