Go Soak Your Head

There are very few foods that you straight-up can't eat raw. Many of the "toxins" produced by plants like broccoli and alfalfa aren't deadly; rather, they are what wikipedia calls "defense against herbivores." Usually this is some kind of chemical that hinders digestion or messes with the nervous system, either of which is enough to keep a bird or herbivorous mammal at bay. Humans, however, are not so easily deterred. We and our opposable thumbs have figured out that cooking de-activates many of these toxins and that having your nervous system messed with (THC, nicotine, psilocybin) can actually be kinda fun.


What to do, though, when you don't cook your food (and you don't feel like walking around amazed by your own hands all day)? Soaking is the answer. Unlike cooking, which can leach away nutrients with its high temperatures, soaking breaks down the indigestibles while leaving the healthy stuff intact. Soaking also makes non-toxic grains softer, easier to chew, easier to blend with other spices and such.

Oats are a good place to start because they aren't toxic so there's no risk of accidental Death by Delicious (patent pending). Note, however, that rolled oats aren't raw. Most oats are steamed at high temperatures to make the rolling process easier. Them internets tell me that there are raw rolled oats out there, but not readily available. Oat groats are raw and steel-cut oats usually are, the latter being easier to find. All are great sources of fiber and protein but the more bran the better, so I used groats in this recipe.

I give the original measurements here, but after I soak the groats, I usually third or half them so I can blend different flavors. Also note that groats take a while to soak and soften. You can speed things up by using warm water (just not above 115F!). And if you like chunky/chewy oatmeal, you can soak for as little as 2 days. Squeeze the groats between your fingers to get an idea of how soft they are.

Groatmeal Porridge (adapted from Raw Food, Real World)

3 cups oat groats, soaked 5 days (change the water at least once a day)

1 cup maple syrup

2 cups golden raisins

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups dark raisins (optional)

In a food processor/dry blade blender, pulse together everything except the dark raisins. Scrape the sides occasionally and mix until you get an oatmeal-like consistency. This can be as chunky or smooth as you'd like. Fold in the dark raisins and serve/refrigerate for up to a week.

There are numerous delicious variations on this recipe. Try using honey instead of maple syrup (though you only need a scant 3/4 cup - honey is very sweet). You can blend dark raisins and fold in the golden. Omit the non-blended raisins and fold in chopped walnuts or pecans. Use craisins instead of raisins. Fold in fresh bananas if you're going to eat it right away. Instead of plain ground cinnamon, try pumpkin pie spice or a mix of nutmeg/cloves/ginger or cocoa/carob powder. It is very hard to mess this recipe up.

Also delicious - dehydrating flattened globs of this mixture for 24 hours (12 on the teflex/parchment paper, 12 on slotted trays). They turn out the texture of chewy granola bars and boy, do they eat up nicely with a cold glass of brazil-nut milk.

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Another good "grain" to soak is buckwheat. Buckwheat is not wheat or any other kind of grain, rather it is an edible fruit seed similar to a sunflower seed. It contains all kinds of healthy-type-bits that can strengthen capillary walls and help treat PCOS among other things. Buckwheat also contains mucilage which means that, like flax seed, soaked buckwheat creates a Goo! particularly beneficial for soaking and dehydrating. Despite Raw Food, Real World's assurance that this recipe would create crispy cereal bits, my final result was closer to chewy granola bars - kind of like a cereal Fruit Roll-Up. Delicious? Yes. Crispy? No. I blame my POS dehydrator and not my mad kitchen skillz.

Buckwheaties Cereal-Type Snack Chews

2 cups buckwheat groats (not kasha/kashi, which is toasted buckwheat), soaked for at least 3 hours

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 packets Stevia (I only used one though. I like sweet, but not that sweet)

2 tsp sea salt

Drain and rinse the buckwheat. In a food processor/dry blade blender, mix up all the ingredients until they resemble a soupy oatmeal. Spread onto teflex/parchment paper and dehydrate until the top is dry to the touch and they peel away from the dehydrator sheets. (Note: this never really happened for me. I ended up using a spatula to scrape the cereal stuff off and it just never really got crispy). Dry on slotted dehydrator trays until crispy (or, you know, whenever you want to eat them).

These are also very easy to change. Add two tablespoons of cocoa/carob powder instead of the cinnamon. Reduce the vanilla, add a little bit of almond extract, and replace the cinnamon with coarse- or fine-ground almond flour. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure you could throw some dried fruits in the mix as well. Because of the mucilage, it's not as easy to eat this non-dehydrated like you can the Groatmeal Porridge. However, if you like your breakfast foods a little Goo!-y then by all means, eat away!

Since I don't actually do a traditional breakfast meal (it's all green juice, raw fruit, and smoothies until about 3-4pm for me), I've been mostly eating these two recipes as desserts/late-night snacks. Especially the versions using cocoa powder. And despite how decadent they taste, these cereals are really, really good for you. Lots of fiber, vitamins, natural energy; no white sugar, no processed grains, no preservatives.

Even without all the poisons, though, these dishes have the power to boost your mood and alter your consciousness for the better.

You've been warned.