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Pimp your nuts
Nuts are packed with protein, heart-healthy fats, and vitamins yet there are ways to really boost their nutritional value even more. Try out these nutty makeovers and get more bang for your buck
Add some pizzazz to these protein-packed superfoods with our nut recipes!
We’re literally nuts for nuts. Don’t let their small size fool you – they’re loaded with heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but you can get even more bang for your buck with these nutty makeovers
Activate your nuts!
While loaded with nutrients, nuts also contain natural chemicals, called phytates, that can interfere with absorbing the good stuff. Some people find eating large amounts of raw nuts can be difficult to digest. Activated nuts have been soaked in salt water then dehydrated before eating to reduce the phytates, and make them gentler on the digestive system.- Pop 250g of nuts in a bowl and cover with filtered water mixed with 2 tsp sea salt. Make sure they’re well submerged as the ingredients will absorb water as they soak
- Leave them for 12 hours, then strain away the water
- Slowly roast at a very low heat (65°C/45°C fan) in an oven for 24 hours. These will last around 48 hours
Butter them up!
Delicious spread thick on a slice of wholemeal toast, a homemade nut butter is the perfect healthy breakfast to set you up for the day.- Take 420g of good-quality, fresh raw almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or cashews. After activating the nuts (see above), blitz into a smooth paste.
- Drizzle in a little raw honey or water and blitz again until they bind together. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Simples!
Give them a roasting
Nuts roasted in a drizzle of flavoured oil and super spices are great as a crisp addition to salads or served as a vegan appetiser. The process can be a little tricky as they can go from almost done to overdone in less than a minute so watch them like a hawk!- Preheat oven to 175°C/155°C fan/gas mark 4 and spread 900g of nuts, such as brazil, cashew and pine, evenly on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
- Drizzle a small amount of your favourite infused oil over the nuts and, if you like, sprinkle on your favourite spices - we suggest ½ tsp of cinnamon, ½ tsp ground coriander, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and 2 tbsp of organic brown sugar or agave – but you really can have fun here and experiment! Toss to coat evenly.
- Pop in the oven and roast for 5 minutes, then remove and stir so that the outer nuts are moved towards the middle and vice versa – don’t skip this step.
- Check the nuts again after 3 minutes – they should have darkened and start to smell more nutty. If not, return to the oven and then check again after 3 more minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. They’ll keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container (but we doubt they’ll last THAT long…)
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