Red Rice Energy Bars - Recipe - Natural Nourishment

Serves

Prep in

20 minutes (+ overnight soaking)

Cooks in

1 hour 50 minutes

This recipe links to the post ‘The Red Hot New Kids on The Block’.

Like its good friend brown rice these blushing morsels are whole grains so you are eating both the bran and the germ. This is imperative when we talk about regulating our blood sugar which among others things forms the basis of a sensational snack. More information on this topic can be found in my previous post ‘To Dunk or Not To Dunk That Is The Question‘.

Both are also great sources of B Vitamins, Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Selenium and Magnesium which all contribute to the vital metabolic processes that keep us pottering along happily. Whole grains also pack a fabulous fibre rich punch & our russet friend brings in 3g per serving. Adequate fibre intake supports healthy digestion which then goes on to balance all of our body systems by ensuring proper elimination of toxins and waste products. Excess triglyceride levels are an example here, so once again we’ve found a way for you to include taking care of your ticker into teatime, bring on the baking! And to think, all that perfectly packed up into such tiny little parcels….anyone suddenly ravenous for rice?

The thing that cinches it for the red rice however is its characteristic ruby hue. When you see colour think antioxidants, in this case anthocyanins. They are indeed those self same ones you would gain from deep red & purple vegetables and fruits like red cabbage, aubergines or blueberries. Now this is not to take anything away from brown rice, we love the guy, but in this instance we are supercharging our snack by opting for his slightly more colourful compatriot.

One of the largest areas of research with anthocyanins is their protection against cancer. These terrific little troopers combine the ability to scavenge free radicals with modulating oestrogen levels. This means they protect against oxidative stress all over the body whilst also preventing the proliferation of the specifically oestrogen driven cancers (ovarian, breast, endometrial & prostate). This then expands into decreased oxidation of blood lipids (which would have then gone on to form atherosclerotic plaques), decreased fragility of capillaries and anti-inflammatory activity i.e. even more protection against cardiovascular disease. And if that wasn’t enough anthocyanins are also known to modulate the immune system to make sure it’s responding in the right way to the pressures of our everyday life. Pretty good ‘ey?

Key Facts

Makes 16 Good-Sized Squares
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Nutritious & Delicious

Ingredients

1 cup red rice or red & wild rice mix (I buy mine from Waitrose)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
170g dates, chopped
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup raisins, chopped unsulphured dried apricots, a combination or your dried fruit of choice

Preparation

01

Place your rice in a large glass bowl or jug, cover with double its volume of water, add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar and leave to soak overnight. If you don’t have time this step is not vital but it does increase the availability of the nutrients within the rice. See ‘Soaking & Sprouting‘ for more info.

02

Drain and rinse the rice well in the morning. Add to a pan with 1 1/2 cups of cold water, bring to a boil then cover with a lid and turn right down to a very gentle simmer. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Add the cinnamon and ginger then leave to steam with the lid on for 15-20 mins.

03

Meanwhile add the dates to a pan with the water, bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chia seeds and blend to a puree with a hand blender.

04

Tip the slightly cooled rice into a large bowl. Add the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins and date puree. Stir well to coat everything then taste to check there’s enough cinnamon for your liking.

05

Grease and line a small roasting tin with baking parchment. Tip in your deliciously sticky mix and even out with a spatula.

06

Pop into the oven at 170ºC and bake for 50 minutes to an hour. Check it at 45 minutes, if it is quite dark around the edges cover with some baking parchment held in place with foil to prevent it from burning.