Sprouted Buckwheat Bites

One dilema that people often run into with traditional raw food cuisine is that many recipes relay on nuts to create texture and bulk. This can make certain foods harder to digest for some and substantially higher in fat. Sprouted buckwheat makes a great replacement for nuts in things like snack bars and granola, giving them a lighter quality, and bringing to the table valuable enzymes, life force and macronutrients such as protein and phytonutrients such as rutin. Many mistake buckwheat for a grain but in actuality it is a seed and is very easy and fast to sprout. Nicole Axworthy says the following about her delicious little sprouted buckwheat bites- “With these mini bites of energy on hand, you’ll have no problem keeping up with family and friends during summer weekends full of activites like cycling, running and gardening.”

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or seeds of 2 vanilla beans)
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp dried currants
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 tbsp water, or as needed
• 1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat groats*

Instruction

1) Using a food processor, process the almonds to a coarse meal. Take care not to over-process or they will start to release their oils and turn into nut butter.

2) Add the vanilla powder, chopped dates, dried cranberries, dried currants and hemp seeds and process until the mixture is well combined and starts to come together. It should look like a thick, wet dough and should stick together when pressed between two fingers. Depending on how soft your dates are, you may need to add the water and pulse to combine.

3) Next, add the buckwheat and pulse just to combine.

4) Use a half-tablespoon measure to scoop up the dough and roll into balls with your hands. You can leave them as mini balls or form them into square bites by pressing down on the dough ball and forming a square with your fingers. Freeze the balls or squares in an airtight containter to keep them from going soft.

*To sprout, simply soak the groats for 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly and then place them in a large mason jar fitted with a sprouting lid (or you can use cheesecloth and a rubber band fitted over the jar opening). Place the jar on an angle upside down in a dish rack so excess water can drain from the jar. Allow to sprout for 24 to 36 hours, rinsing twice a day, or until the sprouting tail is as long as the seed.

Notes

If you prefer to make buckwheat bars, you can double the recipe and press the dough into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for one hour and then cut into bars.