You may think I'm a little, well, nuts to suggest that you try making nut milk.
When I run Nibl plant-based food workshops, people are often amazed to see how easy it is to make this at home.
If you would like to try an alternative to cow's milk - for health reasons, for variety, because you're looking for new and innovative ways to mess up your kitchen, or because you want to avoid the additives in commercial nut milk - here's how to do it.
Milk can be made from a range of foods.
Rice, coconut, buckwheat, quinoa can all be used to create a similar substance, with their own individual flavours and nutritional profiles.
I'm focusing here on how to make milk out of almonds.
(As an aside, some plant-based foodies call this ''mylk'', but that could potentially give the impression of not having paid enough attention at primary school, so I'm sticking with ''milk''.)
Any type of raw nuts can be used in this recipe. If you use cashews or macadamias you can omit the straining step and you won't be left with any pulp.
If you want to use your milk in coffee, not all nut milks will create froth.
The best choices for this, in my experience, are macadamia or hazelnut milks.
- Nicola Brown
Nut milk
Ingredients
1 cup raw nuts
3-4 cups filtered water (plus extra water for soaking nuts)
pinch of sea salt
3-4 dates (optional. Soak for at least an hour if dried)
Method
Step 1: Place the nuts in a large bowl and cover generously with water. Cover the bowl and leave nuts to soak for eight hours or overnight. Drain and rinse well, discarding the water. (The nuts will have increased in size by about half.)
Step 2: Place soaked nuts in a blender with 2 cups of filtered water.
Step 3: Blend until nuts are pulverised, then add another 1 or 2 cups of water (less water for more luxurious milk), sea salt and optional dates. Blend again until smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Pour milk into a clean piece of muslin or a nut milk bag which has been placed over a large jug or bowl.
Step 5: Strain out as much liquid as possible. You don't want to waste a drop!
Step 6: Drink as is, or add to another recipe. If not using milk immediately, store in airtight jars in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Chocolate velvet super-shake
Serves 3-4
This is great for children (or adults) who are flagging in the afternoons and need a burst of energy before the next round of frenetic sport (or, in the case of adults, trying to find a park before frenetic sport) begins.
Ingredients
2 cups nut milk
1 large or 2 small bananas
1 cup fresh or frozen berries
2 Tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (according to taste)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon
Method
Mix in a blender until smooth. Serve in cool glasses with even cooler straws. To make it portable, place in a screw-top jar and keep refrigerated; shake well before serving.
Tip
Leftover nut pulp can be used in baking or bliss balls; it can also be dried out to make muesli. Or if you happen to have chickens and leftover nut pulp, and there's a particularly significant chicken birthday coming up, I'd say you're sorted for a present.
