Hey guys!
Here it is: the first snowy night of the winter season. Well, sort of: it’s first snowy/rainy/sleety/slushy night of the season–that lovely set of circumstances that weathermen like to call a “wintery mix.” As if by design, this has been a heavy working Saturday for me (three clients, two manuscripts, and a partridge in a pear tree), so I’ve been able to spend most of the day inside with a fleece blanket. And tonight, I’ll be cozying up with my favorite new winter beverage: sesame seed milk.
This post is dedicated to a dear friend–he knows who he is–who chuckles each time he hears me say “nut milk.” Well, Beavis, I’m afraid that this post falls short of naughty hilarity, since it’s technically a seed milk I’m talking about, but even so, this one’s for you!
So, remember when I made almond milk? I mentioned then that nut milks (he he) and seed milks lend themselves to endless variety. Cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and pecans all lend themselves to delicious variations on the basic nut milk formula (1 cup nuts, 4 cups water, sweetener if desired, pinch of salt). One of the best nut milks I’ve tried was the sesame seed milk at SproutCraft here in New York. And since today’s weather called for a comforting seasonal beverage to go with my reading (and the chances of me drinking eggnog are about as high as the chances that I’ll be curling up with Julie Powell’s new book), and I happened to have some sesame seeds handy, my own snowy sesame milk was born.
The recipe? Practically a no brainer: blend 1 heaping cup of raw sesame seeds, 4 cups water, 6 pitted dates, and a pinch of salt in a blender for a good long time (maybe 2 whole minutes, or until the mixture is really creamy).
Sometimes I strain nut milk, sometimes I don’t. I actually liked the richness of this blend as it was without straining, so I left it, but if you’re fasting, or you want the mix to be smoother, go ahead and strain through a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag (he he). If you want to warm the milk up a little, go ahead and warm it very gently in a pot, or let it blend in the VitaMix or BlendTec for a minute or two (this is a good trick for raw soups, too)–just don’t let it get scalding hot.
This milk is creamy, flavorful, and delicious. Imagine the taste of tahini, but sweet. Or imagine liquid halvah.
OK, maybe that was a bad example: lots of people don’t like halvah. Just imagine a really creamy, slightly nutty, slightly sweet beverage that’s a perfect pick me up on a cold day, is 100% dairy and cruelty free, and also rich in calcium (yes, friends, sesame seeds are a terrific vegan calcium source!). What could be better?
Wait, I know: this amazing t-shirt line that Melissa sent me. I’m totally getting the “stalker” tee!!!
OK friends. Hope you get to try this treat soon. In the meantime, stay warm and stay dry.
xo
P.S. Who’s already listening to holiday tunes? Tell me I’m not the only one who’s rocking out to Pandora holiday music (thanks, Nel).
I'm a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, a former book editor, and a post-baccalaureate pre-med student at Georgetown University. I'm passionate about helping people to discover and enjoy plant based foods in a simple and healthy way. My name is pronounced like "Jenna."
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Yum yum, as soon as I receive my VitaMix (I ordered it over a week ago) I am going to make this, sounds delicious! And no, you’re not the only one listening to holiday tunes, I was today as I was putting up my tree. Snow and holiday tunes are a good combo!
Linda
Oh, excellent! I have about 5 pounds of sesame seeds in my pantry and I found that homemade tahini didn’t work out so well, so I will definitely be trying this. And holiday music? Heck yeah! Sufjan Stevens Christmas CD has been playing for a few days now.
Wonderful description of the current weather situation in the city
haha. This sounds like a really interesting treat! I’ve been using a lot of almond milk but I can’t seem to drink it straight. I was too much of a milk drinker when I was younger that I always expect it to be more creamy and less nutty than it is. Oh well, perhaps this is a good alternative? I will let you know when I get the chance to try it, sounds interesting.
P.S. My roommate at school has been playing holiday music since before Thanksgiving… and we haven’t gotten our fill yet. Take care my dear!
This sounds like a wonderful idea! I love, love, love sesame seeds and all kinds of nut milks
I bet this would taste delicious!
Now, if only my blender will cooperate…
Liquid havlah? I’m game
I own about 20945843095834098503485 shirts and hoodies (okay, SLIGHT exaggeration there) from FoodTee. Love that company!
Halvah*
OOOOOOOOO! that looks refreshing and nummmmmmmmmy!
This look so delicious. I am so in awe of your raw creations, Gena!
Oooh this looks so good and too easy to be true! Also, I didn’t know Julie Powell’s new book was out – and I just read the first 5 pages on Amazon…thanks for linking it! How are you liking it?
Sorry, katie, that was me saying I’m NOT interested in reading it! Just can’t get interested in a memoir about a love affair with meat
Yum! I want to make this now!
“Imagine the taste of tahini, but sweet” That is RIGHT up my alley. Honestly, it looks like it would be better thick and unstrained as you left it vs. strained. Straining it would strip the goodness. But then you’d have ummm seasame milk pulp for crackers. So that could work…the possibilities are endlessly lovely!
Love the tshirt linkage. I like the downward dog one. But the banana is a bit too flacid looking for me I think
And glad you enjoyed my honest review of the Think Thin bars today. Meh & bleck for sure!
xoxo
I’m with you on NOT wanting to read Julie Powell’s new book. The whole topic seems gross, and so does her affair, even though I’m judging it based on the idea that she is Amy Adams…who she is not! ANYWAY – stay warm! Goodnight!
LOL – You’re so damn cute!
That looks so good!!! I can’t wait to get my Vitamix (for Xmas!!! YAY!). I have been listening to Christmas music since Thanksgiving week!
LOVE IT! Have a nice night!
Phew! Thank goodness I am not the only one cheesing it up with Pandora Christmas music. Love, love, love all things holiday. How are you? We still need to reschedule a dinner date with Cassie. Hope you are well! Oh, and thanks for the recipe! All you had to say was sweet tahini. Mmmmm.
I was just looking at my jar of sesame seeds wondering how they would translate into milk. Totally have to try it!
How about I find the wikipedia entry of Beavis totally fascinating!
And oh how i wish to make nut milks again.
GORGEOUS! This looks so creamy and beautiful, thank you for another great idea. This one is probably going to become a favorite.
i just posted about my love for tahini, and here you are with a new sesame creation for me to make.
i still haven’t tried creating my own nut milk, which is silly considering that i make so much else from scratch.
also, wait: some people don’t like halvah? are they crazy?
stay warm, gena!
Mmm, sounds fantastic! I still have yet to try to make homemade nut/seed milk but maybe I’ll give this recipe a try! Gotta find those sesame seeds!
I’ve been totally rocking out to Christmas music on Pandora! Love!
Yummy this sounds really simple and good too! Ive got a whole bag of sesame seeds in my pantry, maybe ill put them to use today. Christmas music is all ive been listening to these past few days. In the car, at work and at home (thank you pandora lol!)
How cute are those shirts, I really want the have a peace tee, its so cute!
The drink looks beautiful Gena
I suppose it would have a tahini-taste considering tahini is made from sesame seeds.
Funny comment about Julie Powell’s book. I read her first and must be the only one who did not really enjoy it, so I assume I would not enjoy the next one either. I probably should not assume. It is interesting though that she is content with a career as a butcher – just the fact that people can find success and happiness in the oddest , and sometimes most basic, places.
You write quite beautifully. I am afraid my blog is more a random assortment of light-hearted topics that may not interest many. Anyway, enjoy your day. I spend most days curled up reading or trying to be productive, but I usually fail
Yum, that sounds delicious. Dairy has been messing with me lately so I’ve been testing different variations of milk. And I turned on the Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving, and it will be blasting until December 31.
haha I know I am so obsessed with those tees! It surprised me when I learned what a good source of calcium sesame seeds are–when reading victoria boutenko’s book. I wish I liked them, maybe the milk would be different. thanks for sharing, nut milks are so easy!
That is some yummy looking “milk”!
Music/Workouts/Food/Fitness – http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/
Happy Sunday,
Katie
Alright, Gena- you asked for it- my raw challenge to you is eggnog! I’ve actually made partial headway, discovering that SoDelicious coconut milk with nutmeg and cloves, warmly gently in a pan, is not a bad analogy!
This recipe looks very yummy. I’ve stopped buying nut milk and instead using nuts + water in any smoothie or context I used to use nut milk- but I haven’t actually blended up a plain old glass! Whenever I mention nut milk to my mom she starts joking about milking almonds… not dirty, but pretty ridiculous
Those tees are cute. When I was little I had a shirt that resembled a Washington apple sticker that read “organically grown in Washington.” Too cute!
I heard the new book was terribly written anyway (not to mention the awful topic).
Ahhh, that sounds so good. I have only tried making almond milk so far. Umm, that tshirt site is the cuuutest!! I love the stalker shirT!!
Will this work in a regular blender? If not, do you think I should soak the sesame seeds first?
this sounds delicious! i listened to christmas music all the way back after thanksgiving
OMG…. I have never thought of using sesame seeds to make milk :/ Well, now that I am obsessed with pumpkin seed milk and I am going to have to give this a try sometime. We are doing our best to stay warm and Christmas music is on all the time
Thanks for that t-shirt link, I’m in love with the tote bags. Rad radish? Cool cucumber? AWESOME!! But…. Why the heck is international shipping $49? Big sad face.
The sesame milk sounds delicious!
This one might be a cinch for you, but how would you raw-ify dolmades? My yia yia bought some over the other day and I had a few. Now I can’t stop thinking about them!
This sounds amazingly delicious, I can’t wait to try it on a snowy day! I can just see it now… my finals are done at school and I’m curled up on the couch with a big fuzzy blanket, a cat, a good book, and a big ol’ glass of this. Ahhh, bliss
And you’re not the only one listening to holiday tunes. Pandora has already been getting a good amount of my attention
This sounds really delicious to me. I’d love to give it a try and also make it for my husband! Hes always skeptical about these type of greats…but recently became open we he fell in love with some vegan asparagus soup I made!!! Plus he loves sesame flavored anything. Thanks for the idea
I love that cool cucumber one!
I HAVE been wondering about the vegan alternative to egg nog. Interesting take on the classic drink.
You are too funny! I feel slightly less immature after reading this post because every time I write “nut milk,” I want to put a “tee hee” in parantheses, but I fear that no one is as sophomoric as I am! Haha. Guess you are, though!
I have experimented with a lot of homemade nut milks (teehee), but haven’t tried sesame yet! This really looks/sounds delicious!
Yep – our office DJ (aka whoever is playing internet radio) is cranking Vienna Boys’ Choir at the moment. I’m slowly but surely getting in the spirit! Somehow it still seems too early, though.
Your sesame milk sounds delcious, but I expect nothing less to come from your noggin. (Get it? Nog –> Noggin? Ugh, I’m jet-lagged.)
I can’t wait to try the sesame milk. Wow, Gena, I really like the way you think. Those tees are pretty sweet.
I am listening to holiday pandora righ now!
ok, so i just made this sesame milk yesterday, plus i added a little bit of fresh grated nutmeg and vanilla bean……SOOO DELICIOUS!!! I dont like drinking almond milk straight, but this is rich and creamy and perfect by itself. I dont even have a good blender, so i strained it and added a bit less water so that it stayed creamy.
I’ve never seen the making of nutmilk explained so easily! Thank you! I can’t wait to try this.
I will definitely try making this soon. It looks delicious! I need to get some new sesame seeds, though, because the last package I bought have a funny taste… they were from a Lebanese market and they taste slightly like zataar… I think some cross-contamination has occurred somewhere!
Oh, and Julie Powell’s new book sounds disgusting, agreed.
Happy weekend!
Very behind on reading, but HOLY MOLY this looks good. I’ve made your almond milk, oh, 10 times already! This is going to be a hit, I can just tell.
I made sesame milk today with tahini, honey, sea salt, cinnamon and water. Yummayyyyyyyyyy. Better than milk, and kind of like ovaltine.
You had me at “liquid halva”! What a fantastic idea. I just added sesame seeds to my grocery list.
This milk sounds DELICIOUS. In fact, I have a whole tub of raw sesame seeds that has been sitting around uselessly for the past few months..I just need to grab some dates at the store.
Do you know if a handheld blender will work? My regular blender broke. :/
thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes! i have been following your blog for a few weeks now and have enjoyed making some of your raw recipes. i just made the snowy sesame milk tonight with the b&d crushmaster and it was awesome! yummy times ten. i also tried a little with some raw vanilla bean and that was really nice too. thanks for your blog- it is making my adventure into raw really fun!
I also just noticed a ton of sesame seeds in my pantry and blended them up. Love your website.
Do you use hulled or unhulled raw sesame seeds?
Unhulled raw
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Do you have to soak the sesame seeds (or any nuts/seeds) overnight before using them?
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