Savoury Ride Snacks...

I recently discovered from a friend of mine a fantastic recipe and method for a savoury ride snack. The idea came originally from Garmin-Slipstream's team physiologist, Dr. Allen Lim. So, if it's good enough for a Pro Team then it's got to be good. Besides, I just fancied a change from the usual oat Flapjacks and the energy bars that I usually consume whilst on a long ride. They taste great and I've had no issues with digestion on a ride following consumption.

Ingredients (for 9x9 tin)


2-3 x fresh eggs.
1 x (dry) cup sushi rice (approx 200g)
3 x slices bacon.
2 tbs Soy sauce.
Parmesan cheese (Optional).
Salt to taste (Optional).

Method

1. Scramble and cook eggs in frying pan, breaking them up thoroughly into small pieces then set aside.

2. Thoroughly clean through the rice with water. Cook the rice according to directions (Only use Sushi rice otherwise the cakes won’t hold together). I found that the Sushi Rice I made took approx 30 mins to cook. For the 200g of rice I used approx 300ml of water (there was no requirement to drain the rice as the water gets fully absorbed).

3. Fry bacon or pancetta in frying pan over a medium heat until done (thin-sliced pancetta crisps up very quickly, so watch it carefully) – if using bacon, blot thoroughly on paper towels.

4. Crumble pancetta or bacon into small pieces and fold into rice along with eggs. Add soy and parmesan to taste.

5. Transfer to a shallow baking pan (9×9) and, using a spatula, firmly press down on mixture. As an option I transferred the pan to the grill just to brown off the top which then provides a nice crisp texture. Let cool, cut into bars sized portions to slip into a jersey pocket and wrap in foil. Refrigerate.

Start with smaller batches like this until you know how many cakes you can eat in a few days of riding. It's best to consume within 3/4 days!!


VARIATIONS: Try omitting the bacon and cheese and creating a “sweet” rice cake using honey or fruit jam instead of soy sauce. Experiment, have fun.