When we first opened SpaJuiceBar, my focus was strictly on providing juices, smoothies, and a few acai bowls. The people I surrounded myself with had great ideas, and one lady in particular, Alicia, had a brilliant notion to create raw oatmeal. Alicia was very much into the plant-based lifestyle, and I found her to be truly fascinating because she knew what I did not know about plant-based food. My forte at the time of opening was juice. I am a juicer; I dream of juice, and my focus was only on juice in the beginning. So, Alicia created what turned out to be one of the most sought-after oatmeals. Our raw oatmeal was highly favored at SpaJuiceBar. Now, this oatmeal is not cooked strictly raw but full of flavor and fortifying nutrients. Since the closing of the juice bar on Las Olas, I have received many requests to share the recipe.

We served the oatmeal in 9oz containers. The recipe is approximately 5 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups organic steel-cut oats (before soaking)
• 1.5 cups soaked organic raw cashews
• 1.5 cups medjool dates (10.20 oz)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup organic coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2–3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2–3/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• 1.5 cups water (for mixing)

Instructions:

• Add the oats to a bowl and cover with water. Refrigerate overnight
• Add the measured raw cashews to a separate bowl or container, cover with water, and soak overnight in the refrigerator.
• The following day, empty the oats into a strainer and rinse under running water. You are rinsing to remove the starch from the oats. Afterward, empty the oats into a stainless steel bowl or any bowl to mix with the other ingredients.
• Rinse the cashews in a strainer, shake off the excess water, and place them in a food processor or high-powered blender.
• Measure out your Medjool dates, remove any pits, and add them to the food processor with the cashews.
• Add all the remaining ingredients, excluding the 1.5 cups of water.
• Blend the dates, cashews, coconut oil, salt, vanilla, and spices. Blend until you have a smooth, pudding-like texture.
• Add the cashew-date pudding to the raw steel-cut oats. Stir the ingredients and gradually add the water to achieve a smooth consistency. You must add the water gradually because you may not need the entire 1.5 cups. The amount you add is contingent on how loose you prefer your oatmeal. Stir until all the ingredients are blended.

Shelf life 1 week (7 days)

Enjoy, wishing you wellness!

Sonia