Meal times! /-/ Coconut rice cake granola

I know this may come off as invasive but are you are a nibbler or three square meals type of person?

For as long as I could remember I have always been a nibbler or constant small meal eater. Of course there is a lot of controversy surrounding whether it is better to eat all the time or at three distinct times but for me snacking is the only way I am able to function. I think I inherit this from my parents and the way they used to feed my sister’s and me during our childhood. The kitchen was never off limits, but you had to eat the most important meal of the day. Nope not breakfast, it was dinner. The only time we had food rules and the dish I HATED MOST as a child had to be finished.







Can you guess what it is? Not the veggies or meat, but the carbohydrate very single Asian house hold has; white rice. That pile of steaming whiteness haunts my food nightmares. Still to this day I hold memories of being told to eat all your rice and me reluctantly eating it or sneaking it off my plate so I could get on with my night. To this day I cannot seem to find the exact reason why I hate white rice. Maybe it is the pure blandness of white rice and the texture which puts me off.

I am almost 15 years older since I tasted my first grain of white rice and honestly I still have problems with it. My relationship with this grain will never be a loving one but I kept an open mind and found a brown rice and wild rice quite pleasing. Sushi, brilliant.

I guess rice it is O.k* staple.
*“If I had to eat this because it is was the last thing on earth” O.k.

Nothing will come between me and my love for bread and noodles.



Granola, the fancy pants yuppie cereal is booming in Australia. People seem to love this mixture of crunchy sweeten grains, nuts, fruit and seeds covered in milk or topped on yogurt. Maybe because it has healthy connotations since it is whole grain AND Fruit! Shocker

Plus the packaging makes people feel it natural and good for you. What about a cardboard brown box with the words, nature or organic that gets people going?




Whether you love the marketing or hate it, the taste of granola is addictive. Though at prices for a standard good box of granola topping the high $7 mark, not something you can afford every day. That is until you see that granola is too easy to make at home and I bet you have everything you need in your pantry right now. Simply the mixture is your dry ingredients (nut, seeds, dried fruit, coconut and choice of dry flat grain), any type of fat or oil (nut or seed butters and oils), sugar(brown, white, raw, date etc. and your wet sticky binder( these can include a mixture of syrup and egg whites sometimes). Placing spices such as coffee, cocoa and nutmeg are just flavour enhances and can be altered as you see fit.




This granola is slightly different though. It is not made from oat meal or barely flakes. It is made from rice. Stale Puffed rice cakes to be exact. You would think the warning label on the packet is to protect you but like most things I rebelled and added heat. The result is a fantastic lighter and crispier version of crunchy granola. I was inspired to try this after reading the recipe for Matzo granola on the serious eats website. This may not be fit for pass over but it is conveniently gluten free, dairy free and vegan. Use any nuts, oil, sweetener seeds you want; this recipe can be altered as long as you have those key ingredients in it, you are set.

Whether a you are a nibbler or meals person, granola is a special treat for anytime of the day.



Coconut rice cake granola

Adapted and inspired by Serious eats.



170g brown rice cakes, crushed into pieces about 0.5cm to 1cm.

100g sesame seeds, white or black

150g shredded coconut

100g raw peanuts( I used the small red skinned peanuts, but if you use the bigger skinned ones chop them up a bit)

70g brown sugar

90g rice syrup

60ml rice bran oil

1tsp cinnamon

0.5 g salt, course flakes.



Pre heat oven to 150 degrees C. line two trays with parchments.

Combine rice cakes, peanuts, seeds, coconut and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Heat rice syrup , sugar, salt and oil in sauce pan. Turn heat to medium and cook till everything is combined and melted.

Spread on prepared sheets and bake for 20 minutes. When you are able to smell the faint scent to coconut and it should go golden.

Leave to cool on sheets and break up into desired shapes.

Store in an air tight jar for maximum freshness.