Let’s soak some nuts!!

I get asked all the time… Why do you soak your nuts?  Simple, biology actually.  Nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors.  The purpose of these enzyme inhibitors is to protect the nut or seed until it had what is needed to grow.  Nature allows the inhibitors and toxic substances to be easily removed when the conditions (enough rain and sun) are met.
In nature, when it rains the nut gets enough moisture so it can germinate and produce a plant. The plant then continues to grow with the sunlight.
By soaking nuts and seeds, you release these toxic enzyme inhibitors and increase the life and energy contained within them.  Raw food is sometimes called living food. 
What are the benefits? The amount of vitamins that your boy can absorb is increased.  Gluten breaks down so it is easier to digest.  Enzyme inhibitors get neutralized.  Phytic Acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital nutrients, is reduced. 
Soaking nuts is a major part of the raw food diet.  There are recipes out there that wouldn’t even work unless the nut is soaked. 
Soaking nuts is simple.  I place my nuts and seeds in a glass jar and cover them with at least double the amount of filtered water before I go to bed.  In the morning, I rinse them really well. I put the rinsed nuts in the fridge until I’m ready to use them.  You can keep them for a couple of days in that state. 
What if I want to eat crunchy nuts?  Simple.  Put them in the dehydrator on low until they are dry and crunchy again.  I keep extra bags of those previously soaked, then dried nuts and seeds around to use in salad or just snack on. 
Here’s a staple raw recipe that used soaked cashews:
Vanilla Cashew Cream (YUM for short)

• 1 cup soaked cashews
• 1/4-1/2 cup filtered water depending on desired thickness
• 1-2 Tbsp agave or you can even use maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract, or a little more to taste
• a pinch of sea salt, (don’t use the regular salt, it has ground up bones in it)

Throw everything into the blender and puree until thick and creamy.
It is a good idea to start with ¼ cup of water, and then gradually thin it out in order to achieve the desired thickness.
If you don’t have a Vitamix (I wish I did), just put it in your blender for longer than you are used to.  I only have an Osterizer blender and I can get this recipe creamy.  Play around with it.  I usually start on chop, then go to liquefy.  If you have it on liquefy and it looks like it stopped working, you might have an air bubble.  You have to poke it with a spoon or spatula or whatever you want to poke it with.  Turn off the blender first please. 
Something to put your cream on…
Buckwheat Cereal or some people call them Crispies
Soak your buckwheat over night… I usually do a cup at a time.  Rinse well.  At this point you can sprout them for a day until they get a little tail or you can jump right to the dehydrating stage. 
Mix the soaked buckwheat with a sweetner like Agave or maple syrup.  Just play it by ear.  You don’t want them soppy wet with it but you don’t want too little.  I usually use about a Tbs. 

Put your parchment paper (I have them on the fruit rollup thingy in the picture... never a good idea) on your dehydrator and run it over night or about 8 hours until your buckwheat is dry.  

Assemble the magic!!

In this picture, I had a lazy day and just cut up some bananas and poured some almond milk over them.  If you want something decadent, here you go...In a bowl cut up some strawberries or have some blueberries… Whatever you are in the mood for.  Put your buckwheat cereal on top.  Pour the cashew cream over the whole thing.  Yummy!!!  Then invite me over for breakfast.  Just kidding about that last one… or am I? lol