Little Book Review + Soaking & Sprouting Nuts & Seeds

My latest favorite library find: DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters & More by Melissa King.

I want to devour this whole book!  It goes far beyond your basic almond milk or peanut butter.

It got me in the kitchen making my own nut & seed milks.  (The winner? My own blend of soaked almonds & sunflowers, which made for an extra-creamy, flavorful refresher!)

 There are lots of beautiful dishes using the basic milk & butter recipes, many of them no-bake; perfect for summer! (the White Chocolate Coconut Fudge looks utterly to-die-for.)  These are decadent but doable, as well as totally good for you! 

Each recipe is vegan and gluten free. Most importantly, all are recipes which use pure, whole foods.  

I especially appreciate the chapter with ideas for using up the nut pulp usually leftover from making nut milk, which was something I'd had a hard time utilizing before. It ended up in the compost a few times, which seemed a terrible waste of food, so I quit making nut milks. Not anymore!

I love the large variety of ideas in this compact book. Definitely the best book on the subject that I have yet seen. 

A bit About Soaked Almonds

I've talked about these here before. When almonds (and other nuts & seeds) are soaked, the enzymes that aid in their digestion are released. The nutrients, many of which are essentially dormant in the unsoaked state, are made more available for our use. 

Also, most nuts and seeds, when unsoaked, are acidifying to the body; a soaked nut or seed has the opposite effect.

Soaking is a gentle process which does nothing to damage the good things of the nut, things like selenium and Vitamin E, and optimizes them for quicker absorption into the body.    

We don't have to try as hard to digest a soaked almond, and so, they are a quick source of energy.  I can't get over the feeling of instant alertness that comes over me every time I eat them (or drink them!).

Unlike sprouting seeds and nuts, which can take days, soaking takes only an overnight dip in water to uncover all these health benefits. 

I think that everyone should try their hands at this process; it's so easy to do and takes very little time. 

There is no set recipe: just place 1 cup of your favorite nut or seed in a bowl and fill with water to cover by at least one inch (almonds especially expand many times over during the soaking process) and let them soak overnight. (See my tips on how to store these without refrigeration) Once soaked & drained, they can be eaten as is or blended with fresh, cold water & strained to make milk. 

Give them a try & let me know what you think!    

Pea shoots, from garden to table

Pea shoots are in season right now, and taste so very green and vibrant - a sure sign of spring to come.  I love picking them from the garden, snacking as I go.

According to peashoots.com, they have seven times more Vitamin C than blueberries! No wonder they hit the spot.  They are amazing just plain, but they make an exceptional garnish for soups - uncooked, of course.  (Vitamin C is one of the most easily-lost nutrients when cooked.)

I made a version of this soup today, using available ingredients, and using coconut oil instead of sunflower. I also omitted the ginger tea powder and used fresh-grated ginger + coconut sugar instead.  I also left out the jasmine tea, and used liquid from some steamed vegetables that happened to be on hand.

The vegetables used usually reflect the time of the year - this batch for instance, with collards, broccoli, and cauliflower, as well as pea shoots, seems somewhere in between winter and spring.     

As you can see, the recipe can be varied widely - sometimes I've added sweet potatoes at the start with the onions, or sometimes carrots. As long as the essentials of ginger, onions, mushrooms, and soy sauce are used, the rest of the ingredients can be switched around to your liking.   

 Here's to spring. Enjoy!

Rice pudding, revisited + a variation

Possibly my favorite dessert, ever.

This version of my rice pudding uses meyer lemon zest for an extra kick. The basic recipe here.
Also, I used coconut oil instead of avocado.  


(NOT an endorsement for Coca-Cola;  I just love the image on the glass)


 This time it turned out much more 'rice-y' - I used a larger rice-to-liquid ratio. I quite like the thick, creamy result!  

I don't know why, but rice pudding just goes perfect around this time of year.

Just in time to celebrate Lunar New Year!

Millet & Zucchini

Millet has all the buttery, floral goodness of a fresh corn tortilla - really an amazing flavor. And I love how it keeps a bit of chew; when cooked just so it has the perfect texture - not mushy, but not crunchy. Millet combines superbly with zucchini for an exceptionally fresh taste - better than the classic zucchini & corn.

This makes the most delicious meal - hearty but by no means heavy.  It's a perfect use for the last of the season's zucchini.

You can taste the life in this dish! I just feel bright after eating it.

This takes around half an hour to make, start to finish, so it's an easy option for a quick lunch.

The spices can be mixed & matched, or left out altogether, but cumin is hard to beat. The point is to have the combination of buttery, salty-sweet caramelized zucchini & onions along with the millet. It's incredible.  

Millet w/ Zucchini & Onions

1 cup millet

2 cups water

3/4 TBSP olive oil

pinch salt

  Toast millet over low heat in dry pot several minutes, stirring or shaking the pan often.  Add the water, oil, and salt, stir, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.  Remove from heat; close lid fully and set aside while making zucchini:

  In another pot, heat over medium-low:

3 TBSP olive oil. Add
1 onion, sliced. Saute while chopping
3 small zucchinis - add them to the pot. Stir and add
black pepper,
red pepper flakes,

dill seeds,

ground coriander,
garlic powder, 

paprika, and

ground cumin,
  to taste.
  Raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, a few minutes until onion and zucchini are nicely browned.

Cover partway with lid and cook a few more minutes to steam.  Remove from heat once done - onions should be translucent and the zucchini tendercrisp - mixture will continue to cook a bit even after removing from heat.  Serve a generous scoop over a pile of the millet.

 An original Any Fig recipe.