Almond Milk Archives - Page 3 of 3

(Firstly, sorry for the late posting. I’ve been away for 2 days moving all my belongings into my new flat. I’m not actually moving in for 2 weeks as there are a couple of things to be done before then and I don’t need to be there until the end of the month when I start my Masters…I said this would be a busy month! Anyway, just wanted to fill you in. Back to the matter in hand…

Chia Seeds!

Image Credit: timesunion.com

This magical little seed isn’t that new to me and likely not to you either as it’s been prominent, particularly on the vegan “scene”, for a couple of years now. Even so, I wanted to feature it as it’s only recently that it has earned a firm position in my pantry and I’m using it almost daily.

It’s not just fantastic for its versatility in the kitchen but has a whole host of health benefits too. It’s very rich in omega-3s, which as you probably know, are essential fatty acids (EFAs) that our bodies need for optimal health. Chia is also full of quality protein, magnesium, calcium, antioxidants (more than blueberries), iron, folate and soluble fibre.

So, what did I make with it? I’ll share a few other chia recipes below but this time around I opted for a simple Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Chia-Oat Pudding for breakfast. If you’ve been around Coconut and Berries a while you’ll know of my endeavours to get up earlier in the morning, and I’ve found making interesting and tasty breakfasts helps entice me out of bed! This pudding needs mixing up the night (or a few hours) before you want to eat it so it’s all ready to eat in the morning, even more encouragement to jump up immediately when the alarm sounds instead of hitting the snooze button…

Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Chia Oat Pudding:

1/3C Oats
1T Chia seeds
1/2C Almond milk (add more in the morning to thin if desired)
70g/2.5oz (approx 1/3C) Strawberries
A few drops of vanilla stevia (to taste) OR sweeetener of choice

In a short-cup blender, blend together strawberries and almond milk. Add stevia to taste. Add oats and give a quick pulse to break the oats up a little bit. Stir in chia seeds, pour into a jar or bowl, cover and let sit overnight in the fridge, or for at least 1 hour for the pudding to thicken up.

Serves 1

Top with nut butter and fresh fruit if desired. I went for my current favourite combination of cashew butter and sliced banana

Chia seeds’ ability to soak up liquid is what makes them really versatile in the kitchen.

I recently made a healthy no-cook jam using chia seeds and blackberries which was fantastic with my lemon coconut milk scones.

For a dessert or snack you can nix the oats and just stir in chia seeds to non-dairy milk and add fruit, cacao/cocoa or other flavours for a tasty and satisfying ‘pudding’ of sorts. If you saw my green tea ice cream post you’ll know I’m a matcha fan, so this Matcha Chia Pudding from Gena at Choosing Raw is on my to-make list.

Ground chia seeds work well as an egg replacer in b)aked goods, an alternative to ground flax which is what I usually use. See these Banana-Walnut-Chia Muffins (GF).

It adds bulk to smoothies too. This Cacao- Maca-Date one is my favourite indulgent breakfast smoothie.

Finally, I still haven’t made but must make Angela’s Super Power Chia Bread (GF). It uses buckwheat too! (See yesterday’s “B” post)

That’s all I can think of right now but if you use chia seeds for anything else please do share in the comments below.

I’m off to catch up on all your MoFo posts, see you all tomorrow for the letter “D”.

I adore nuts of every kind, but it’s probably only since going vegan that I’ve actually really started eating them regularly, and certainly that I’ve discovered their versatility. In the past, my encounters with nuts were probably mainly limited to chocolate coated peanuts, salted + roasted peanuts, peanut butter (the kind with sugar and preservatives…), and that’s about it.

Wow was I missing out.

They’re well and truly a staple in my kitchen now: A handful of nuts is a great snack- cashews, almonds and walnuts are my favourites; nut cheeses (see my courgette galette with cashew chèvre); an ingredient in salads and stir-fries; a key component of raw desserts; a lovely addition to baked goods, and of course nut creams and milks, among many other uses.

I’ve been buying almond milk for a long time, but only very recently started making my own at home. If you haven’t tried it yet you really must. It’s far creamier and tastes so much more like the actual nut than any stuff you’ll find pre-packaged. It’s hardly any effort either.

I’m not usually a big smoothie drinker but the warm weather has made me fancy a lighter start to the day. This cool, creamy smoothie is ideal for breakfast ( I enjoyed it alongside a little homemade chamomile muffin I found lurking in the freezer), or makes a perfect afternoon pick-me-up, or would even be a delicious dessert.

I’ve just got back from a week in Spain and enjoyed tonnes of gorgeous stone fruit- peaches, nectarines and apricots galore. What we get over here is mainly imported and of course nowhere near as good as the fresh stuff. I found a bag of the soft dried type, and although very different they worked really well in this smoothie, their concentrated sweetness making it feel rather decadent.

Dried Apricots come in two varieties: sulphured, and un-sulphured. Sulphur dioxide is often unnecessarily added to dried fruits as a preservative and is what retains the bright orange colour of the apricots. I prefer to use organic dried apricots with no added preservatives or other added ingredients. This means that they are not bright orange, but are naturally dark instead. In my opinion these are far more delicious and fruity-tasting than the artificially-preserved variety.

Apricot & Almond Smoothie (with a hint of cardamom)

2014-03-25 16:56:55

Serves 1

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Ingredients

3/4 C Almond milk (preferably homemade)
1/2 Frozen banana ( I freeze peeled, halved bananas when they’re turning brown)
4 Soft dried apricots (organic, unsulphured)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Almond extract
1/8 tsp Ground cardamom (optional)

Instructions

Blend all ingredients together until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

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Do you make your own nut milk? What’s your favourite kind of nut?

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