EASY-AS HOMEMADE OAT MILK

after many batches of fab homemade soy milk, i decided it was time to branch out and try my hand at another non-dairy milk – continuing with the non dairy milk range i had previously purchased from the supermarket i decided oat milk was a the obvious choice!

not only was making my own homemade oat milk super fast and super easy… it was also super simple to clean up and super cheap (winner!) 

how? 

1 cup of rolled oats

3 cups of cold filtered water

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of agave syrup

equipment: 

small bowl (big enough for 1 cup of oats and 2 cups of water)

colander

blender

large jug

whisk

nut milk bag (or fine strainer)

bottle/jar (1 litre capacity)

place your oats and 2 cups of cold water into the small bowl and leave to soak for 20 minutes

strain the oats in the colander and rinse with fresh cold water then set aside for a few minutes to allow the water to drain off

place the soaked oats into your blender with 3 cups of cold filtered water. blend on high for 1 minute

place your nut milk bag into the large jug and pour the blended oat mix through the bag. suspend the bag to allow the milk to drain through (or if your in a hurry just give it a squeeze to speed up the process)

whisk through the salt and agave syrup then your ready to bottle your fresh oat milk! so simple!! your homemade oat milk will keep in the fridge for around 3-5 days

yield = 1 litre

FRESH HOMEMADE SOY MILK

when i sat down and figured out how many individual (1L) cartons of soy milk my household was going through a week i started to think about alternatives. i am always keen to find ways to cut down on landfill and live an unprocessed life. making my own soy milk has therefore been a big winner! 

this recipe, although having quite a few steps, is simple and the final product is really impressive (says he fussy soy milk drinker). plus there is zero waste!! (the water that is drained off can be used on the garden and the bean residue left behind (okara) can be used in heaps of different recipes!)

i did the maths and it works out to be 0.37AUD per litre of fresh homemade soy milk - crazy!! i pay around 2.25AUD (when on special) for a 1L carton of soy milk from the supermarket - so you can image how happy i am with my results!

this one is definitely worth a try for those yet to explore the world of homemade non-dairy milk - enjoy!

how?

1 cup of soya beans
5 cups of cold water
4¼ cups of boiling water
1½ cups of boiling water, additional

equipment

1 large bowl with lid or plastic wrap to cover
blender/food processor
2 large (3L) stockpots, 1 with a steamer insert
1 wooden spoon
1 potato masher (optional)
muslin cloth or nut milk bag
1.5L capacity bottle to store the milk

WATERMELON SLUSHIE

with the weather heating up a watermelon slushie seemed like a great idea that turned out great!

how?

2 cups of frozen watermelon pieces

place the watermelon pieces in a blender and blitz until smooth - enjoy!

CREAMY SOY COFFEE

the perfect accompaniment to a hot weekend breakfast - a mug of hot, creamy soy milk coffee... yum!

VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE

generously garnished with some vegan marshmallows, this hot chocolate was delish! and definitely assisted in exceeding my calorie quota for the day... but an enjoyable treat for a rainy night in all the same!

how?

2 heaped teaspoons of 100% cacao powder

2 teaspoons of sugar

300mL of non-dairy milk (i used light soy)

combine the sugar and cacao in the bottom of a large mug. add a little non-dairy milk to make a paste, then slowly add the rest of the non-dairy milk to combine. place in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot. serve with vegan marshmallows and enjoy! 

BANANA CINNAMON SMOOTHIE

how?

1 frozen banana

250mL of cold soy milk (of non-dairy milk of choice)

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

extra cinnamon for dusting

combine the frozen banana, soy milk and cinnamon in a blender and blitz until smooth. pour into a large glass and dust with extra cinnamon - enjoy!

why banana and cinnamon? well... bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamin C, manganese and fiber; whilst cinnamon has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels (the bad kind), exert a beneficial regulatory effect on blood sugar levels, as well as inhibit the growth of medication-resistant yeast infections!

simple, vegan, super healthy and delicious!

"FANCY A CUPPA?"

tea contains antioxidants (or polyphenols) called flavonoids - as noted in my post on green tea - the most potent being ECGC, which has been shown to protect against free radical damage that can contribute to cancer and heart disease

black tea, having been fermented, has lower concentrations of polyphenols than say green tea; however its antioxidizing power is still significant. studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke and may reduce the risk of stroke.

drinking tea has also been found to support healthy bones – with regular tea drinkers displaying the strongest bones (irrespective of other risk factors) than non-tea drinkers.

tea also contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay – which means a winning smile! (just go light on the sugar if you can’t live without it)

not only does it help prevent chronic disease, but tea also strengthens your immune system against infection, and since tea is calorie-free (without added sugar or ‘milk’) it’s a winner for the waist line too!

GREENER JUICE

how?

1 small cucumber, diced
2 kiwi fruits, diced
2 cups of fresh spinach leaves

put all ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth, you may want to add a little chilled water to thin slightly (about 1/4 cup)

serve and reap the benefits of this glowing green vitamin booster!

OLD-SCHOOL LEMONADE

when life gives you lemons... why not make some lemonade! i always get a bit carried away when buying fruit and veg and went a little crazy on a recent lemon purchase - all with the good intension of adding a few slices to hot water in the morning (as per my post on lemons and their fab cleansing qualities). so now i have quite a few in the fridge that i would like to find a use for so i can fit some more palatable fruits in their place!

lemonade definitely presented as a more exciting option than hot water with lemon, and with a recipe as easy as this i was done in no time - ready to enjoy a refreshing beverage on my balcony with a view of madrid's rooftops

how?

1 cup of water

3/4 cup of sugar

6-7 lemons

heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. leave the sugar water mix to cool. juice the lemons and strain any seeds and/or pulp. add the lemon juice to the sugar water and stir to combine. serve over ice with a wedge of lemon and a few sprigs of fresh mint if you happen to have some at hand!

GREEN JUICE

a vibrant, revitalising glass of green juice was exactly what i needed after a rather unproductive day at work! returning back to work after lazing around in the sunshine the day before is always a hard task... and today i was really feeling it.

using a banana, a pear and a big handful of fresh spinach leaves (oh! and about a 1/4 cup of cold water) i blitzed up this glowing green juice in a matter of seconds!

it was fresh and perhaps a little too sweet from the pear that got added (but it was begging to be used... so i threw it in!)

i love green juice... and instantly feel healthier after the first mouthful!

CLEANSE

hot water w/ lemon

rather than hitting up the fridge for a pre-bed snack, try a glass/mug of hot water with a slice or two of fresh lemon. 

not only will the lemon help satisfy the sugar cravings but also (according to Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden) help:

- prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and the decomposition of tissue;

- cleanse the system of impurities and prevent disease;

- dissolve uric acid (often the cause of pain and inflammation in joints) and other poisons in the body; and

- reduce symptoms of malaria, rheumatism, gout, rickets and tuberculosis

plus! lemon is also an excellent stimulant to the liver, liquefing bile and helping to control excess bile flow (ewwh! but yay!) 

source: Kloss, J. (1997). Back to Eden: A Human Interest Story of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root , and Bark. Twin lakes, USA: Lotus Press.

ON THE ROCKS

singapore sling

like a cocktail or two? but worried about the vegan-ity of your beverage?!? check out barnivore.com for an extensive listing of vegan beers, wines and spirits! what about if i'm out on the town?? well... there are a number of great (and free - yay!) vegan iphone apps that will help you out of this little pickle! my favourites are veganiseasy and ivegan (available in the app store) 

speaking spirits you're generally somewhat safer than the beers and wines, which may use isinglass, gelatin, egg white or milk products to refine the final products.

pimm's classic

isinglass for those of you who aren't all up on the vegan-lingo is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish (basically a form of collagen, which is a type of connective tissue)

creamy spirits, on the other hand, are not going to fall with the vegan-friendly category - including your bailey's irish cream or amarula cream liqueur

jellybean wannabe

malibu rum, galliano liqueurs, midori melon liqueur and agostura bitters (which went into this creation) are all vegan friendly - yay! and make for a wikidly glam rainbow cocktail

ZUMO FRESCO

carrot, orange + ginger

great way to get your daily serve of f+v... although the juicer can be a pain to clean it is worth it for a fresh carrot, orange and ginger juice! better still a pineapple and orange combo - refreshing + healthy w/ a mega-dose of vitamin c