Nut Milk

It's always the little things in life that make us the happiest

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like coming home from a week-long business trip to a sweet husband waiting for you at the airport (especially when he carries your bags!) 

Or walking into a clean house, opening the fridge to find the mac & cheese I'd been craving, and (!) chilled champagne.  Not to mention, my favorite t-shirt and sweat pants after a long shower

the quiet of my office

(For those who follow The Veggies, you'll know I work from home for corporate America.  A career in the field of IT)

Five years had passed since our first face-to-face meeting as a team.  A season following a corporate merger between two companies with very different cultures.  New working groups had been formed, different roles and responsibilities assigned, no two people from the same background, and name tags were a necessity

This past week couldn't have been more different.  The air of awkward, replaced by a genuine warmth and comfortableness.  Over the years, strangers had become not only coworkers but long-distance friends.  We caught up on life as we reviewed projects, listened to speakers, set goals, and worked on processes

The conference room we called home was a tiny sliver of the 2 million-square-foot complex where 10,000 people come to work each day (trivia: it has the 2nd largest footprint of buildings in the U.S. right behind the Pentagon!).  One could easily get lost trying to find the potty, much less caffeine!

So once in the morning, and again in the afternoon, she would graciously guide me through the maze of stairways, cubicles, and nondescript hallways to Starbucks for my green tea fix.  Along the way, we talked about kids, her background studying classical piano (cool!) and cooking (of course, cooking)

I told her of homemade nut milk, which has become a staple.  During the time I was a part of the Venice Nutrition's 8-week run I'd replaced cow's milk with almond.  Once I began a study in holistic nutrition, I looked at all of the additives on the back of the carton and began making my own

It's a simple process really, one requiring a little downtime for the nuts to soak. (plan ahead).  After they've soaked, run them through a food processor (or blender) along with some hot water, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.  The milk stays fresh in fridge for 3 or 4 days.

The recipe below represents my most basic, although I have a few favorite variations

Vanilla Bean Almond Milk

Before blending the almonds, add two pitted Medjool dates, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and the seeds of one vanilla bean to the mix

Chocolate Hazelnut Milk

Before blending the hazelnuts, add 2 Tbsp honey, and 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix

Strawberry Almond Milk

Before blending the almonds, add two pitted Medjool dates, 2 cups strawberries, halved, and the seeds of one vanilla bean to the mix

What to do with the leftover pulp?

When you're finished there will be a lot of pulp left behind.  I can't bear to get rid of it and have discovered it's quite simple to dry it out to make, for example, almond or hazelnut meal (flour) which is wonderful in baked sweet treats

To dry out your pulp, set the oven at its lowest setting (at our house that's 170 degrees F).  Spread the pulp in an even layer on a lined baking sheet.  Put it in the oven and leave the door cracked an inch or so (this will release moisture & reduce the drying time). Let it bake until it's crumbly (~ 3 – 4 hours).

For a finer flour-like texture, pulse the dried meal a couple of times in your food processor after it's had a chance to cool.

Enjoy!

xoxo

ps:  A few notes:

Some recipes online that mention using a cheesecloth to strain the milk.  This will work, but consider buying a nut bag instead.  Trust me on this one

There are a couple of keys I've discovered in my quest for silky smooth, non-gritty milk.  Allow the nuts to soak a long time (I have the best luck somewhere around 48 hours) and use hot (but not boiling) water during the processing    

No matter how careful I am about straining the milk, sediment will settle as it sits.  Always give it a few good shakes before using

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~ Adapted from The Kitchn