Abstract: The soft-baked stir-fried rice grain pockets of the present invention were developed to be handheld replacements for traditional stir-fried rice grain entrees that have always been consumed from a plate or bowl with a fork or chopsticks. There are numerous recipes for making traditional stir-fried rice grain entrees because every country and culture prefers their own indigenous blends of vegetables, herbs and spices. In the process of the present invention, the ingredients that comprise a traditional stir-fried rice grain entrée are separated into two components, a stir-fried rice grain component and a stir-fried filling component, both of which are comprised of food particles and spices that complement each other so that when said two components are later merged into pocket configurations, they provide the stir-fry taste and the stir-fried rice-grain texture of traditional stir-fried rice grain entrées—but in a handheld format.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for making soft-baked breakfast pockets comprised of joined fluid-milk infused cereal grains enclosing a non-grain filling component. When formulated with four full ounces of fluid-milk for each one-ounce of dry cereal grains (the same amount and ratio of fluid-milk to dry cereal used to make a bowl of cereal and fluid-milk breakfast) said soft-baked breakfast pockets of the present invention can be used as a “hand-held” replacement for the traditional cereal, fluid-milk and fruit breakfast that can only be consumed from a bowl with a spoon. In the first step of the process of the present invention, both the non-grain filling component and the fluid-milk infused cereal grains, which are made by infusing 200 to 400 pounds of fluid-milk into each 100 pounds of dry raw cereal grains at temperatures above 180° F., are prepared separately.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for making hand-held shaped cereal and milk products having a smooth, homogenous-consistency texture and a moisture content higher than 35%, using about the same amount and ratio of cereal flour to fluid-milk as found in a traditional combination of (RTE) cereal pieces (made from cereal flour) and fluid-milk that have to be eaten from a bowl with a spoon. In the process of the present invention, each pound of cereal flour is cooked with 3 to 4 pounds of fluid-milk together with starch-complexing agents in a continuous cooker at temperatures above 175 F. It is then discharged as a hot, fluid-milk-hydrated, starch-complexed cereal flour which continues to absorb retained fluid-milk until it becomes fully-cooked, fully-hydrated and viscous enough to retain a shape. It is then formed into units, baked to firm their textures while retaining a higher than 35% moisture, and stored refrigerated or frozen.

Abstract: A method of producing an expanded intermediate moisture food product having a moisture content between about 20 and 30 percent by weight, a protein content of between about 15 and 35 percent by weight, and a water activity between about 0.80 and 0.85 that has an extended shelf life without refrigeration is provided, comprising admixing a dry granular cereal grain, dry protein source material, together with other powdered and granular materials, a polyhydroxy alcohol bacteriostatic agent and an antimycotic compound to produce a homogeneous blend; passing said admixture in a confined stream through a pre-cooking zone and subjecting it to treatment with steam, hot water and agitation to produce a hot, granular blend having a moisture content of about 25 percent and a temperature of about 190.degree. F.