One of my most popular posts to date is my DIY tutorial for making raw almond milk. In spite of the dinky photos and bad lighting, this post embodies what I always wanted Choosing Raw to be: an easy and practical resource for eating (and living) vegan and raw. I will never forget how astounded I was the first time I figured out that I could actually make the same almond milk that I was spending three or five dollars on in health food stores. And not only make, but make easily and economically! It was the first of many lessons that raw foodism taught me about what it means to live off of nature’s raw materials, as it were: to make astonishingly tasty food from only the simplest ingredients.

As it turns out, almond milk is within everybody’s reach. And so too is the creamy vanilla cashew milk I’m about to share.

My second revelation about making homemade almond milk was that I didn’t actually have to use almonds. Hemp seed, pumpkin seed, cashews, pecans, and sesame seeds all make wonderful bases for nut/seed milk. If you’re not convinced, check out my tahini milk or hemp milk. Or simply drink a glass of this sweet, creamy, dreamy cashew milk, which is my nut milk favorite du jour. The ingredient list is short, the procedure is simple, and you absolutely don’t need a high speed blender for this to work: soaked cashews are a lot more blendable (?) than are soaked almonds. No matter how old your blender is, it’s time to dust it off!

Creamy Vanilla Cashew Milk (raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Makes about 3 cups

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
4 cups filtered water
4 pitted dates
1 vanilla bean, scraped into the blender, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

1) Blend all ingredients together till very, very smooth. This will be a few minutes in a normal blender, or 1-2 in a high speed variety.

2) Optional step! Affix some cheesecloth over the mouth of a large container using a rubber band. I actually use my VitaMix most of the time. You can see how it ought to be set up below.

3) Pour the cashew milk over the cloth in batches, till you’re able to pour it all out. Allow the milk to strain for a couple of hours; you can leave it in the fridge if you like, but I’ve never had a problem with leaving it out as it strains. If you’d prefer to have a creamier and thicker cashew milk, skip this step!

4) Save the cashew milk pulp for use in raw treats (see: tomorrow’s recipe). Pour cashew milk into an airtight container (I like to use glass jars):

Keep in the fridge for about 2-3 days (if it’s at all sour, it’s gone off). Serve over cereal, graw-nola, in smoothies, or simply as a rich afternoon snack.

See how smooth and creamy it is? Now this is the kind of thing that actually does a body good.

Here on CR, you’re used to seeing 1001 recipes that call for juice pulp. What can I say: I juice a lot, and I don’t like to throw the pulp out. But many of you have also requested recipes for almond milk pulp, and as of now, I have yet to oblige you. Stay tuned, then, for a recipe tomorrow that features one of the many ways I put my almond (or cashew) mush to good use.

In other news, I found out on Friday that I made the Greatist list of 60 Must-Read Health and Fitness Blogs, along with such talented friends as Ashley, Sarah, and Kath. What an honor! Look for CR in the “special interest food” category.

Finally, many of you have emailed me to ask about my blog design, and how-to questions about getting set up with blogs of your own. I’m happy to share the news that my blog designer, Cory, has now gone full time with his Zesty Blog Consulting services. Cory is the best: over the years, he has not only helped to make CR what it is aesthetically, but he’s also been a source of insight about marketing and growth, and he’s done a wonderful job of helping me to keep my blog current. I really recommend him if you’re looking to have someone help you with tech and design. Congrats on the new chapter, Cory!

With that, another weekend slips by. It’s back to molecular orbitals for me—later!

xo

Note: this post is not for the many of you who have expressed to me a major distaste for tahini. Tahini seems to be a polarizing ingredient: some of us (like me) simply can’t get enough of it, while others seem to cringe at the sight of it. This nut “milk” is tahini based, and it most definitely tastes that way, which is bad news for the tahini-sensitive. For those of us who love the stuff, though, it’s an ideal alternative to almond, soy, or rice milk. And as an added bonus, it takes about three minutes to prepare, and there’s no straining involved.

This is a great nut milk to put in smoothies and puddings, and it’s lovely warmed up gently in a pan, too. Again, the taste is distinctive, so it’s not the right choice for delicate recipes with sensitive flavor balances. On it’s own, though, or in a brilliant morning smoothie, this stuff is delicious. Here’s how to make it.

Creamy Tahini Milk (can be raw, vegan, gluten and soy free)

Makes about 3 1/2 cups

1/2 cup tahini (roasted or raw)
3 cups filtered water
3-4 pitted dates, soaked in warm water for about 30 minutes
Dash salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender till very smooth.

Recipe notes:

1) I like this homemade milk to be less sweet than others. If the 3-4 dates aren’t sweet enough, feel free to add some more dates or to add some stevia!

2) After years of trying to stick to raw tahini, I’ve given up and started getting the roasted stuff. I *love* the taste of raw tahini, and would always get it if I could, but frankly, I use a lot of tahini in my kitchen, and I just can’t afford to spend $13 or $15 every time the jar is empty.

Note that, whether roasted or raw, I try to get organic!

Here’s the best thing about this recipe: you’re blending a seed butter, which means you can use a lower-speed blender and get the same results you would in a fancy blender, like a Vitamix. As a general rule, this is a fabulous “trick” to start making homemade nut milk: if you don’t have a high speed blender, you don’t want to strain through cheesecloth, and you’re finding that your homemade milks aren’t smooth enough, try almond, cashew, or pecan butter in place of nuts themselves.

The next best thing? The creaminess:

Absolute heaven. In a glass.

Tahini hater? Try my creamy hemp milk as a protein-rich alternative!!

On that note, I’m back to cramming for yet another Orgo exam. Speaking of which, a little holiday week announcement: because of tomorrow night’s test, I really haven’t been able to whip up a fancy Thanksgiving compilation of recipes for you guys. Sigh. I’m sorry. Believe me when I say that I’d have liked nothing more than to spend the weekend in my kitchen, recipe testing, but these are the moments where I have to remind myself that my job right now is to focus on being a science student and getting into med school, and not on being a full time food blogger.

I will, however, compensate for the lack of a recipe guide with at least a couple of holiday themed recipes, links to old posts, AND a raw, vegan pumpkin pie (which is amazing) in a couple of days. So stay tuned!

xo

No, that title is not in any way meant to suggest the elevated aftermath of certain smokeable substances. Wrest your minds from the gutter! It is a reference to one of the most popular brands of hemp milk. And this weekend, I concluded that homemade hemp milk — though I honestly don’t have a basis for comparison — must surely rival, if not surpass the delights of other hemp derivatives.

It’s funny I should be making this bold claim, because I’ve always disliked hemp milk. Really: I’ve wanted to like it, but I simply couldn’t get over the hemp-y taste. Which is silly, because I love hemp seeds, hemp butter, and  hemp oil, and none of those things could rightfully be called subtle-tasting, either. They’re hemp foods, and they taste like it. Still, something got in the way of my enjoying hemp milk. Until this weekend, when I attempted to make my own, and a new love affair was born.

As the great heat wave of 2010 rages in NYC, I’ve been enjoying plenty of smoothies. Smoothies (often) mean having lots of fresh nut milks on hand, which is part of why I’ve been giving them some blog focus lately (see my post on nut milk troubleshooting if you’re running into trouble making your own nut milks). The hemp milk I’m about to share is my latest creation, and it may henceforth be my most beloved. It’s creamy, rich, high in nutrition, and somehow the hemp taste bothers me far less than it does when I drink the store-bought brands. The recipe is pretty standard:

Hemp Milk (yields about 4 cups)

1 cup shelled hemp seeds
3 cups filtered water
3-4 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp soy/sunflower lecithin (optional, but it will help keep the texture smooth, which is important since you’re not straining this one)

Blend all ingredients on high till they are very, very smooth. Enjoy!

You certainly could strain this nut milk if you’d like to, but I don’t recommend it. The texture is particularly nice when it’s left unstrained, and moreover, hemp seeds are so rich in nutrients that it seems a shame to divest the nut milk of some of its nutrient power by straining. In fact, I’m such a fan of hemp foods as nutritional powerhouses that I even calculated the nutrition facts for the milk. This is something I’ve been asked to do for my almond milk, too, which I can’t because I’ve no idea how straining effects the nutrition. And no, I don’t intend to make a habit of posting nutrition information for all of my recipes. But I can make exceptions once in a while. The stats:

For 1/2 cup serving (a little goes a long way!):

Kcal = 128
Fat = 7.8
Sugars = 4.8
Protein = 8.8 g
Fiber = 1.2 g

As you can see, hemp milk is a more protein rich alternative to standard almond milk, which is great for those of you who are working to incorporate more protein nito your diets. Keep in mind, too, that the fats in this hemp milk comprise both Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, which our bodies need for brain function, growth, and development.

The bottom line is that this hemp milk is a slightly more nutrient dense alternative to my basic almond recipe. But increased nutrition does not come with decreased taste; you may need to adjust to the strong flavor of hemp, but as soon as you do, you’ll want to enrich every smoothie and overnight oat bowl with this stuff!

Speaking of healthy fats, I’ve written yet another blog post on why we shouldn’t be afraid of them–this time, it’s up at Whole Living Daily. I encourage all of my readers who are scared of eating more fat to check it out, and to embrace the healthy properties of lipids!

xo

Yesterday, when I posted my monkey smoothie, I mentioned that it’s always best to use your own homemade nut milk. This isn’t because store bought nut milk is terrible for you, but rather because the homemade stuff is even healthier, and it’s tastier, too!

But not everyone agrees with me on that last bit. Amy wrote:

I’ve had commercial almond milk and made my own on several occasions, and they taste nothing alike. Commercial milks are thick and sweet and appealing while the milk I make is thin and well, tastes like almonds. I’ve tried blending the nuts with dates and also with vanilla and agave. It also separates. I’ve tried almonds with skin and without, balancing, soaking in the fridge, on the counter, and no soak. It ends up tasting slightly…off: a little bitter, a little almond-like, but not very good overall. Please, please help if you can!

No problem, Amy. The problem might be two things: (1) the equipment you’re using, or (2) the procedure you’re using.

Let’s rule out (1) first. Are you using a good quality blender? As you know, I like to insist that eating a plant based and high raw diet need not mean investing in too many appliances. But the recipe for nut milk is one that benefits immeasurably from a high-speed blender. That said, I made nut milk for two years in my regular old Black and Decker blender — what made it work was the fact that that machine, though a far cry from Vita-Mix horsepower, was relatively high-quality (I think it cost me about $60.00). If you’re using a really cheap blender, you may find that the nutmilk ends up “grainy” no matter what you do, which means it will be pretty thin after straining.

Now, for problem (2). Let me ask you a few questions:

• Are you soaking your almonds for 8-12 hours before blending? This isn’t totally necessary if you have a Vita-Mix, but it becomes crucial if you’re using a regular blender
• Are you letting the mix blend for a good long time? Be patient — don’t stop blending till the mixture looks homogeneous.

If the answer to either question above was “no,” then see if those tips don’t make s difference. And if neither do, then you can try adding a tablespoon of soy or sunflower lecithin or coconut oil to the mix. Both act as emulsifiers, which means that they help keep the nut milk well dispersed. I’m guessing that xantham gum might also work — perhaps a 1/4 teaspoon?

And don’t forget that, if you like a sweet nut milk, dates, agave, or stevia are crucial add-ins! Use them to taste.

Hope this helps, Amy! Fear not: you’ll be on your way to perfect homemade nut milk soon.

And for those of you who face major time constraints, remember that organic, store-bought nut milks–like the Pacific brand, for example–are fine to use in a pinch. It’s just always nice when we can prepare our own food from raw materials.

Before I go, I want to point out that Ani Phyo‘s ginger almond pate is stellar in a collard wrap:

And even better when served with a zucchini hummus dipping plate.

All hail simple summer suppers. (And alliteration.)

Happy Friday!!!!

xo

Wondering if I’ve gone from editor to illiterate? No, I promise I haven’t (though I hope my blog has by now served as excellent proof that book editors are not immune to typos). That “mylk” spelling is how many raw foodists like to refer to nut and seed milks. While I see how this spelling is a little comical, I also see the appeal. If you’re like me, and memories of drinking regular milk (or even the sight of milk in a cereal bowl) send you into paroxysms, spelling alternatives are sort of a relief.

Thanks to a giant sale on raw sunflower seeds at my local health food store, this will be a month full of sunflower recipes (starting with my homemade sunshine burgers — if you haven’t gotten the recipe yet, catch up!). But it’s already a month full of pumpkin seeds, too, as evidenced by the wonderful pumpkin seed mylk I made this past weekend. Part of my weekly planning procedures when I’m especially pressed for time include whipping up at least one nut milk (or mylk) each weekend to use in smoothies, oats or oat bran, raw cereal or granola combos, or chia puddings throughout the week. Usually, it’s hazelnut mylk, almond mylk, or sesame seed mylk. This weekend, thanks to some beautiful Austrian pumpkin seeds that were also on sale, it was pumpkin seed mylk. Simple recipe:

Pumpkin Seed Mylk (yields 5 1/2 cups, or so)

1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 1+ hours
4 cups filtered water
4 dates (or stevia to taste)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract or some whole vanilla bean (optional)

Blend all ingredients on high in a blender till very thick and smooth.

When making nut mylks, you can always strain them through cheesecloth, nut milk bags, or (as a reader recently pointed out to me) paint bags from a local hardware store. I enjoy the smooth texture and versatility of strained nut mylks, so I almost always strain mine, but I also like to leave them as they are sometimes — unstrained mylks are thick, rich, and far more decadent! When I tasted this pumpkin seed creation, I knew it was perfect just as it was, and didn’t want to ruin it.

This mylk will keep for 3-5 days in a fridge (I find that seed mylks get sour before nut mylks do, so taste it to be sure before you use it), and is absolutely divine in hot cereal, in smoothies, or in chia pudding.

Before I go, I wanted to share a recent reader question that cannot possibly be unique. Brittany wrote,

Hi Gena!

I was wondering what your opinion is on chewing gum. Is it a really bad habit because of the artificial sweeteners found in it, or is it the sort of thing where a couple of pieces of chewing gum every day are no big deal? Thank you!

Brittany

Good question, Brittany. Back in the days when I struggled horribly with IBS, I saw quite a few GI doctors before I finally found one who was compassionate, knowledgeable, and insightful. One of the first questions he asked me during our consultation was whether or not I chewed sugar free gum. I didn’t chew it very often, but I was curious as to why it was so bad: he quickly explained that the artificial sweeteners (namely sorbitol and xylitol) are very often culprits behind gas and bloating. This is something every person who’s prone to bloating, but who munches on gum like there’s no tomorrow, should know!

Beyond that, chewing gum can force us to swallow a lot of air, which in turn makes bloating worse. So, Brittany, it’s primarily the artificial sweeteners that make it a lousy habit (for certain people), but the chewing can be problematic, too. I’d take this a step further and say that I think there’s something psychologically suspect about constant chewing — it always seems to me as though lots of gum chewing suggests that there’s a hunger for real food that’s not being met — but as someone with an oral fixation, I’m not going to pass any judgment!

If you do want to chew gum, I’d say that xylichew, though imperfect, is probably better than a sorbitol based gum. And Glee, though it contains some sugar, is also a good alternative.

What are your thoughts? Any gum fanatics in the audience, and if so, do you guys have natural brands you like?

Back to work I go!

xo

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).

Happy weekend, guys!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from new clients is, “what about milk?”

This usually demands a multi-part answer. If the client is asking whether or not it’s OK to have some dairy once in a while, I’ll need to listen to her level of transition and get a sense of her goals. I’m no great fan of cow’s milk dairy, but I certainly believe that there can be a place for organic (if not raw and organic) dairy in a transitional diet.

If she’s looking to reduce dairy in her diet, and she’s asking what kind of milk substitute I recommend, the answer is always the same: nut milk. Yes, soymilk is an option, too: I certainly recommend it over cow’s milk dairy. But it’s heavily processed, and most women find that it can lead to bloating and gas  – in addition to the fact that many women (myself included) like to take it easy with soy.

And when there are such delicious things as hemp and almond milk in the world, why bother with soymilk?

Nut milk is heavenly. It’s sweet, mild, and gentle on the belly. It’s light enough to serve as a neutral base in smoothies and soups — unlike soy milk, which tends to have a distinctive aftertaste — yet pleasantly sweet. Best of all, it digests seamlessly — unlike conventional dairy, which so many among us (especially those of you who are lactose intolerant) find difficult to stomach.

There are a number of good brands of nut milk on the market. I enjoy Blue Diamond, which is a good value and a nice, sweet taste. Pacific Foods makes a wonderful variety of almond and hemp milks (I like the vanilla flavor). And my current favorite is a brand called That’s Nut Milk, which is as close to homemade as you can find on the markety.

But truth be told, there’s very little reason to spend money on a store bought brand. Nut milk is one of the very easiest raw food products to make at home! Sure, if you don’t have the energy or time, a store bought brand is fine. But I think you’ll find that investing just a little effort in homemade nut milk pays off in a big way. You can adjust flavors, sweetness, and best of all, you can feel a sense of pride in having created your nut milk from scratch. And if you purchase nuts from the bulk bin at your local health food store, you’ll also be able to save money.

Here’s what it takes to make nut milk:

Almonds

Water

Sweetener/flavorings if desired

A blender (regular or high speed)

Yes. That’s it. And there’s barely any recipe to remember — only a ratio. It takes one cup of nuts to four parts water to make a batch of nutmilk. To this, you add the seasonings you like: for plain nutmilk, add a dash of salt, no more. For vanilla almond milk (my usual) add a few dates and a teaspoon of vanilla. And so on.

Tonight, I was in the mood for some vanilla almond milk. So I followed my favorite recipe:

Vanilla Almond Milk (yields 2-3 cups or so)

1 cup almonds, soaked 8-12 hours beforehand if it’s possible
4 cups water
6 dates or 1/4 cup agave
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (or the contents of a vanilla bean)

Procedure:

Begin by soaking your nuts in some water, if you can. Eight hours is ideal, but an hour is fine if that’s what you’ve got!

Next, blend all ingredients on high in a regular blender or a VitaMix:

Let it go for a minute or so.

At this point, you can serve the nut milk exactly as is — you’ll simply have to give it a good shake before pouring!

If you prefer a smooth texture, though, you’ll want to give it a strain. To do this, you’ll need a large container, and some cheesecloth. Or if you plan to make nut milk on a regular basis, go ahead and invest in a nut milk bag!

They’re cheap, conveniant, and can be used again and again (unlike cheesecloth) to strain nut milks and soups. You can purchase them from One Lucky Duck and other raw stores on the web.

To use, simply place the the nut milk bag or cheesecloth over the mouth of your container, leaving a generous overhang and allowing the strainer to droop about halfway down into the container. I used a large mason jar as my container:

To fasten the bag/cheesecloth in place, use a rubberband around the mouth of the container:

Next, pour all the almond milk into the container, so that it drips through the cheesecloth and into the container below:

Take off, do some errands, read a good book, watch a movie, or whatever. Within forty-five minutes (or, ideally, an hour or two), all of the liquid will have been strained, and you’ll be left with almond pulp, like so:

You can use this for raw cookies, for nut pates, or simply as a nut-butter-like treat.

Meanwhile, you’ll have three or so cups of fresh, delicious almond milk, ready to enjoy in smoothies, in soups, or plain! It should last about 2-3 days in the fridge. I’ve seen it last longer — if it tastes at all sour to you, you’ll know its time has come.

Tonight, I opted for a classic treatment:

Cause sometimes we all just need some cookies and (nut)milk.

Let’s see that again:

If you’re wondering, those are the amazing raweos! Introduced to me by Melissa, these are now among my very favorite raw treats

There are tons of ways to enjoy nutmilk. You can make it with cashews (for a super neutral taste), with hemp seeds (protein rich and distinctive), macadamias, or pecans. And you can adjust seasonings to taste. My favorite varities?

Chocolate nut milk: To the recipe for vanilla almond milk, add 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs or unsweetened cocoa powder

Cinnamon milk: To the recipe for vanilla almond milk, add 1 tsp cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg

Chai milk: To the recipe for vanilla almond milk, add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Sugar-free vanilla milk: In place of the dates, add stevia to taste

So…what are you guys waiting for?! Stop dropping pennies on store bought nut milks, and get blending!! Once you experience the joy of homemade almond (and other nut) milks, you’ll never want to go back. Give the procedure a shot, and let me know how it goes!

Happy weekend to you all.

xo