Feeling Nutty

Here's a double wammy for you today. An article and a recipe! Woohoo!

So going along with trying to "keep it real" while trying to save money on healthy organic foods, I decide to make my own nut milk today. I've heard several people mention a recipe before so I thought, "maybe I am capable....?" But first, a little tid bit from Happy Nutritionist about the benefits of pecans.

Pecans have it all. Pecans are a good source of fiber and contain iron, calcium, vitamins A, B, and C, potassium, and phosphorous. Besides being one of the most elegant, versatile and rich-tasting nuts you can put on your plate, they offer up a package of health benefits that's very impressive. In fact, the new 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend eating 4 to 5 servings of nuts each week.

The Mayo Clinic conducted a study which found that all nuts are nutrient dense and naturally cholesterol free. Not only are nuts cholesterol free but, studies have suggested that eating pecans may help reduce LDL cholesterol levels, leading to a reduction in the risk of heart attacks and coronary artery disease. The serving size for nuts is about one ounce, which equals about 15 pecan halves. Pecans are a great staple for vegetarians, because one serving of pecans can take the place of the protein found in an ounce of meat.

Pecans are also a rich source of oleic acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil. Researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago recently found in laboratory tests that oleic acid has the ability to suppress the activity of a gene in cells thought to trigger breast cancer. While this area of study is still in its early stages, the researchers say it could eventually translate into a recommendation to eat more foods rich in oleic acid, like pecans and olive oil.

And here's how I made my Vanilla Pecan Milk.
 
Ingredients:
1 cup raw pecans, soaked for 2 hours or more
4 cups purified water
1/3 cup agave nectar OR raw honey
2 Tbsp coconut butter (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
Place pecans and water in a blender and blend on high speed.
Add remaining ingredients and blend.
I used a cheese cloth to strain the milk from the pulp. After you strain the milk, store in an air tight container for several days. YUM!

*Note, you can save the pulp (pecan meal) and freeze it for other recipes! How resourceful.  Can't wait to make a green monster with this milk! Bring on the 4:30am wake up call.

For another nut milk recipe, check out Robyn from Girl on Raw. She has a great video on how to make cashew milk!

Cheers,
LC