Coconut Macadamia milk
I'm following the theme of beverages since my Summer Drink Up Challenge is at the forefront of my mind!
It might seem strange but I don't actually drink much 'milk' of any kind.
I don't drink traditional tea of coffee so have no need for milk there. My smoothies and shakes tend to use nuts or blended fruits for creaminess. I don't eat cereal for breakfast so no need for milk there either. I DO however eat porridge, and although it's fine with water or blended nut butters, sometimes I really fancy some milk to make it super duper creamy.
I previously shared this crazy beautiful idea for quinoa milk and cream. I still love it as it makes a great chocolate thick shake and it's so easy.
Recently I had a play around with other milk ingredients. This was one of my favourites. I blended coconut flakes and macadamia partly for flavour but also because introducing coconut helped keep the cost of the macadamias down (they are sooooo expensive).
I will say you do need a nut bag or fine mesh straining cloth to ensure you get a super creamy milk. I bought mine on Amazon and it's a really useful purchase.
I also want to mention here that the link above takes you to my newly created Amazon shop. I decided that because people so often ask me for recommendations for books and tools I love, it made sense to me to put them all in one place. It just means that any product you buy through my shop (at no extra cost to you) gives me a teensy weeny percentage of the affiliate fee.
Let's get back to the milk....
Recipe: Coconut Macadamia milk (all measurements are approximates depending on preferred viscosity)
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup macadamias
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean
Method:
Blend all ingredients together until totally smooth. Set your mesh bag over a large jug or bowl and pour the creamy mixture into the bag. Using your hands squeeze and massage the mixture until the milk is filtered and you only have pulp left.
You can reserve the pulp for other baking use.
The milk will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. Other options for flavour include adding fruits or cocoa to the mix. I also made a version for Real Food Source (pictured at the top of the page) with blended in bee pollen for an extra nutritional boost and slight caramelly flavour (I do appreciate this is not vegan).
What should I do with the pulp I hear you ask?
I haven't yet got a recipe on my blog, but these nut pulp macaroons from Elana's Pantry could be a great place to start!
I'd love to hear from you if you make your own milk and if so, what your favourite ingredients are!
Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus my FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus.
Day to day you can always find me hanging out in these places:
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:
It is super duper simple
it doesn't contain soy or nuts (great for allergies)
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!
I'd love you to join me in other places too!
Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus me FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can always find me in these places:
Fresh almond milk.... in one minute!
I’ve been having a bit of a ‘dietary reshuffle’ as of late, not in a big way, simply challenging a few routines and habits and trying alternative ways of going about things things. This all ties in to my Lent Challenge, along my extra Six-Pack Challenge.
So today we’re going to talk about milk!
There are so many dairy free choices out there, many of which can be found in regular supermarkets, the idea of dairy free cooking shouldn’t be a daunting one (though I appreciate the challenge of eating out is another thing entirely).
My choice of ‘milk’ would typically be organic soya due to its viscosity, widespread availability and low cost. However in more recent weeks and months I have begun questioning whether this is the best option out there since there are so many mixed reports of soy products. Almond milk does seem to be a favourite in the health world and it does taste wonderful...but it is so pricey in the stores (over here in the UK at least!)
So, I decided to make my own. I will step in here and say that I have NOT used a nut bag to strain my milk- most people do take this additional step (and you can by all means)
but since I predominantly use milk in my oatmeal or as a liquid in baking then straining was not a key concern for me and it sped up the process dramatically. This milk literally takes 1 minute from start to finish provided you made some almond butter up in advance, this is the easiest way and ensures the smoothest milk.I made a cup's worth which should keep me going for a while.
I added the milk to a bowl of oatmeal and it made for a super creamy bowl...so good! I am planning on making a 1.5ltr batch every weekend and then dividing into two smaller batches and freezing one whilst I use the other over the course of a few days, that way I always have fresh milk to hand for minimal effort.
Four easy steps....almonds....meal...butter...milk! (plus bowl of creamy oats mmmm)
I will also be building up a bit of a product profile over the next few weeks and months, I will add posts like this to a separate category as soon as I have my new blog layout sorted!
This recipe can join the homemade coconut butter (from way back at the beginning- cue dodgy photos) and also the more recent homemade date sugar experiments.
Recipe: Fresh almond milk
Just over 1.5 ltr
Ingredients
scant ¼ cup almond butter* (homemade from blanched or ground almonds without salt added)
1.5 ltr filtered water
1 tbs date paste or other sweetener (if desired for a touch of sweetness)
*You can add more or less almond butter depending on preferred viscosity. You can also make a thicker cream this way by increasing the proportion of almond butter.
Method
Mix the almond butter and date paste with approx 200ml water until well blended, add the remaining water and blend for 1 minute until very smooth.
Pour into a container and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days (or freeze).
Note this milk has not been strained and is best used for adding to oatmeal etc where a little ‘texture’ is not noticeable. If you want a finer milk for drinking straight
you can strain this through a nut bag prior to bottling. Shake the container before using as there will be some settling occur.
