There’s something exciting about a drink or a dish which can be enjoyed in winter or summer. Likewise, when a dish/drink can be served hot or cold. Call me Gemini, but duality is fun. If I were half as adaptable as this recipe, I’d be a happy man.

The other great thing about this recipe is RED RICE! I recently listened to a surprisingly interesting podcast about the plant based diet and Alzheimer’s disease (my nan suffered with Alzheimer’s for many years which probably means I’m predisposed, so it was personal listening to say the least). Anyway, I learned about anthocyanins and how they play a massive role in keeping Alzheimer’s and dementia at bay. You can find anthocyanins in blueberries, pomegranates, red kidney beans and, turns out, red rice.

I figured I’d do my best to get some of those guys into my diet, and this was maybe the most delicious way to do it. I make a bottle each Sunday and keep it in the fridge. I have a small cup each morning – usually spiked with a shot of espresso or two ??

Makes just under 1 litre

Red Rice Horchata

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Ingredients

  

• 1 cinnamon stick (snapped)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 100 g red rice
• 180 g flaked almonds
• 5 tbsp agave syrup
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 litre boiling water

Instructions

 

• Place the cinnamon stick and powder into a frying pan over medium high heat. Toast for around three minutes or until very, very fragrant. Remove from the heat.
• Place all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl or saucepan along with the hot cinnamon stick and powder. Pour over the boiling water and cover – leave for 4-5 hours.
• Using a high speed blender, blitz everything together until very smooth. If your blender is small, do it in two batches.
• Pour the blended liquid through a fine nut milk bag or muslin, straining out all the nut meal. Discard the nut meal. Pour it into a glass bottle, chill for at least an hour and keep in the fridge for when you need some serious comfort.
• Serve it over ice or heat it and serve with a slosh of rum or mescal. I have mine in the morning over ice with a double shot of espresso.

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