My best non-dairy milk ever! (no nuts)

We've had a few non-recipe posts recently.... so here I am re-addressing the balance! 

This is my new favourite thing. Ever. Maybe.... well, at least for now! I've been making this all summer and I feel guilty for not sharing the love with you until today.

Secret ingredient = quinoa!!

For those of you who love smoothies, shakes and homemade 'milks' this is most definitely for you!

The three best things about this quinoa 'milk' are:

1. It is super duper simple

2. it doesn't contain soy or nuts (great for allergies)

3. It is very versatile- blend it up thick or thin for a milk, cream or a shake.

Today i'll share the basic version... the 'plain' blend. The most versatile addition to your fridge, but it goes without saying you could add other flavours in their too. This milk will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge (I haven't tried for longer but would probably suggest up 3 days to keep it freshest!)

This is a thin milk, most reminiscent in viscosity to regular dairy milk but that really depends on water quantity- add more of less to your own preference. The 'nuttiness' of the quinoa comes through in this milk, which is to be expected given the ratios. I love the flavour, but I also like to add a touch of vanilla, cinnamon or in this case Organic Burst baobab powder for a tasty energy boost.

I have been experimenting with Organic Burst products for a while now. I have been using their maca powder for a couple of years but hasn't tried their other products- so they kindly sent me some to play with- yay! More recipes using their products coming soon (did you see my green face on Instagram recently!?). I love this baobab powder- a subtle sweet, light zingy flavour, the perfect compliment in this milk. 

If you haven't come across baobab before, here's a little bit of info taken from their website:

"Its unique nutritional profile offers more Vitamin C than oranges, more iron than red meat and a source of alkalising minerals: calcium, potassium and magnesium. Organic Burst Baobab powder is from the pure, raw fruit of the majestic baobab tree found in certified organic reserves in Malawi."

You can find more info on the benefits here. There are also plenty more recipe ideas on their website. 

Recipe: Quinoa milk

Makes approx. 1 ltr

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa*

• 2 cups water (plus extra water to thin out as desired after blending)

• 1-2 baobab powder (optional- or vanilla, cinnamon or a few dates to taste)

• 8 drops stevia or sweetener of choice (to taste)

Method

Blend all together well until think and creamy. If you have a high powered blender you won’t need to strain at all. If the milk is not totally smooth you may prefer to strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.

Chill before serving for best flavour. Store for up to 2-3 days in the fridge.

*ideally soak the quinoa overnight and rinse well before cooking to minimise any bitterness. At the very least soak for 5 minutes and rinse well.

I also got to showcase my new glass straws...love love! ;-)

 Note: I was sent a little bundle of Organic Burst products- Maca, Baobab and Chlorella- to experiment with in my recipes, but all thoughts recipes and reviews are entirely my own!

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Sweet Cream... (surprise!)

The 'surprise' part intrigued you...right?

Well check this out.... fruits and veggies in one sweet little dish! Er, where are the veggies you might ask?  The cream topping. Cauliflower is playing its tricks again!

Cauliflower is so crazy versatile, not simply due to it's mild (slightly earthy but easy to cover up) flavour, but it's pure creamy colour makes it perfect for desserts and light sauces.  All you need is a good blender to whip whip whip....

Add a few subtle flavours to hide any hint of caulifloweryness (you can taste test as you go along) and you are good to go within minutes. 

Spoon over fruit, or even a hot autumn fruit pie or crumble.....mmmmm.... pie!

Recipe: Sweet cauli-cream

Makes 1 heaped cup

ingredients:

• 1 cup grated cauliflower (approx 5 large florets)
• approx 2/3 cup non dairy milk* (or water plus 1 tbs almond/cashew paste)
• 2 tbs syrup (i.e brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave) I used BR
• 2 tsp coconut oil*
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Grate the cauliflower of pulse it in a food processor until fine chopped. Add to a pan along with the liquid and simmer covered for 5-7 minutes until cooked. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Add a little extra water/milk if needed to achieve desired consistency. Check for flavour and add extra vanilla, spice or sweetener if needed (or if sensitive tastebuds can detect the cauliflower!)

*I also made an alternative version using 2tbs 60% coconut milk powder mixed with boiling water in place of the non-dairy milk and coconut oil. It worked really well and the slight coconut taste also helped offset the cauliflower (it doesn’t taste at all coconutty in the end).

Cashew Cream

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

This sure is a simple thing...

...Cashew cream!

I first tasted cashew cream in the style of a thick cashew yoghurt served  with fruit as part of a buffet lunch at a recent ‘healthy Living’ Thermomix event. It was really good and a lovely change from my regular soy yoghurt. Once home, I was eager to whip up a batch for myself.

This recipe (if you can even call it that) is so simple and just requires a little bit of planning ahead to soak the cashews. It can be blended to various different thicknesses simply by varying the amount of water you use…yoghurt, thick cream, pouring cream or cashew milk (see note below).  I have served mine here as a dessert with fruit but by changing up the spices you could make this into a sweet or savoury white sauce, serve thick on porridge or as a side to a slice of cake. How about topping it with granola ! (In case you are wondering I do still have the granola obsession- more flavour trials were going on in the kitchen this afternoon)

The steps below make a thick cream (think the thickness of regular double cream) and I served this in a glass (no small bowls to hand at the time!) with some chunks of fresh pear and pomegranate seeds sprinkled with cinnamon. The perfect creamy, light and fruity breakfast or dessert.

Recipe: Cashew Cream

Makes 600 to 650 g thick cashew cream.

Ingredients

• 250 g cashews (soaked in water for min. 4 hours, then drained well)
• 250 g water for blending
• ½ to 1 tsp real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste or 1 cm fresh or dried vanilla pod
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 to 2 tsp agave syrup
• ¼ cinnamon or other spice- optional

Method

Drain cashews and discard the soaking water. Blend cashews with remaining ingredients in a powerful blender (I used my Thermomix) for approx.. 1 minute until smooth.

Taste and add more flavourings if desired then blend again for a few seconds.

Note: For a really thick Cashew 'Yoghurt' add between 50-100g water. For a  pouring Cashew Cream similar to single cream use 500g water for blending. For Cashew Milk, use 750 g water for blending. Adjust flavourings as necessary.  If making a milk you may want to strain the liquid through a nut bag so that it is absolutely smooth.