RECIPE ~ Healthy Puffed Rice Squares

Homemade is the way to go! This easy recipe comes from a wonderful beginner's book on macrobiotics called The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter. You can use regular Rice Crispies cereal but for a much healthier treat (which will be soft and chewy), used puffed whole grains from the health food store. Pictured here using puffed brown rice, almond butter, slivered almonds and carob chips.

1 cup brown rice syrup
2/3 cup nut butter
healthy dash umeboshi vinegar (optional)
healthy dash vanilla (optional)
3 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
optional spices: cinnamon, nutmeg
optional dried fruits & nuts (up to 1 cup): raisins, roasted almonds, carob chips or dried cranberries

Over medium heat, liquify syrup, nut butter, and optional vinegar, vanilla, spices. Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth, homogenous and bubbling a little.

Pour cereal into mixing bowl. Add rice syrup mixture to it and blend well with a stiff spatula, stirring in any dried fruits and/or nuts if using. Pour into an 9x10" oiled pan and flatten with a wet spatula (wet hands and press down into corners and to flatten nicely). Let cool, slice and serve!

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS generally Vatas should avoid puffed, dry cereal, and dried fruit, but the nut butter has enough balancing that this treat can be enjoyed in moderation, preferably with a cup of hot chai
PITTAS a good Pitta treat! Use almond butter
KAPHAS choose puffed kamut or corn flakes type cereal; use sunflower or pumpkin seed butter, no nuts, but any dried fruit; replace rice syrup with honey (heat only slightly, do not cook)